Is it Worth It?
by IloveRossRikerandRydelLynchR5
Summary: Takes place after Unsweet Sixteen. A Jommy fanfic! IMPORTANT: RATING HAS GONE UP TO M! Don't read if you're underage. For the rest of you, read on if you're interested...
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is something I just felt like writing, so please review and tell me what you think, OK? I don't know whether this is going to be a short fanfic or an average length one, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. And I won't be posting that often, just when inspiration hits or I have some time to kill.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. If I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already. But since they're not, obviously I don't. Duh.

Note: This is in Jamie's perspective, and takes place in Unsweet Sixteen, right after Tommy makes Jude promise that it never happened. I know, it's been way overdone by a lot of other people, but I just wanted to get it out of my system anyway. So please review, even if you hate it.

Same Old Story:

Here she was, all broken and in tears before me, and I'd seen how the past few months seemed to have changed her. And although it wasn't necessarily in a bad way, it wasn't necessarily in a good way either. She'd won a recording contract with G Major, and since then her life had been a whirlwind, to say the least. She got to do what she loved every day, but along with living her dream of becoming a major artist, she'd had to deal with a lot of drama. Not that dating, school, and the pressures of an average teenager aren't enough, but try living through it in the spotlight. Where reporters and paparazzi are waiting behind every corner to find out every little detail about her next single, her next album, her professional as well as personal relationships, and to top it all off, she'd had to deal with the pressure of going to school, and having your classmates treat you differently now that you're famous. Sure, some people may like her music, and some may be die-hard fans of hers, but then there are others who could care less, others who hate her music and think she can't sing to save her life, and still others who are so jealous of her sudden rise to rock-stardom, but they would rather die a long and painful death before ever admitting to it. When you think about it, it'd cause anyone to wonder: Is it all worth it?

All of these thoughts were running through my head as I saw how hurt she was. I tried to be strong for her, and tilted her chin up so that she was looking right at me.

"Jude, forget him, OK? He's an idiot. He doesn't realize how great you are," I murmured gently. "You're beautiful and talented beyond belief, and if he can't see that, he doesn't deserve you." I glanced at Kat, trying to get her to say something.

"Yeah, Jude, you don't need him. Not that he's not drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he's blind though. Maybe you should just screw him and get him out of your system," Kat suggested.

"Uh, OK, Kat, let's think about this for a second. Jude screws Tommy, they both get fired, Tommy finds out it's our idea, and bam! He'll make sure I'm hospitalized for the rest of my life," I whined, instantly tossing out her idea.

Kat smiled to herself, and said, "So, what's wrong with that? It's not like you have any better ideas, Andrews."

"Kat? Focus? Wait, I got it," I said, an idea forming in my mind. I had the perfect way to get Jude and Tommy back on good terms with one another.

"What?" Kat looked annoyed with me, but I knew she was just being her usual, unbearable self.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: There is no author's note, so HA! Made you look! lol :o)

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. If I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already. But since they're not, obviously I don't. Duh.

Note: This is in Jamie's perspective, and takes place in Unsweet Sixteen, right after Tommy makes Jude promise that it never happened. I know, it's been way overdone by a lot of other people, but I just wanted to get it out of my system anyway. So please review, even if you hate it.

The Best Laid Plans:

"You'll see," I said, as I grabbed Kat's hand and dragged her out the door.

I drove to G Major, with Kat constantly bugging me about what I was doing, and didn't say anything until I got there.

"I know how to make you talk," Kat said, a sly smile slowly spreading on her face.

"Hmm?" I said distractedly, then realized what Kat was doing, "Hey, stop it!" I started laughing, a little too late.

"Sorry, Andrews. Not until you spill the beans." Kat loved having the upper hand.

"All right, all right," I said, putting my hands up in mock surrender. "We ask Tommy where a good place would be to have a secret meeting, and then when he asks why, we tell him no reason. You know, play it cool, until he's dying to know why, then we tell him Jude wanted to know. Then, when he's interested, we'll say something about how she wanted to meet him there, because there's something she wanted to talk to him about that she couldn't on the phone, in the studio, you get the picture."

"OK, I guess that would work," Kat lied, knowing Tommy would see right through it.

"What? You're actually agreeing with me?" I said, not picking up on her sarcasm.

"Yeah, Andrews, you're absolutely right," Kat said, smiling at me. I knew I had it in me all along. "But what about Jude?"

I was still hung up on Kat's statement that I was 100 right. Me, Jamie Andrews, had had a great idea. One that was absolutely foolproof. I felt a slap across my face, and instantly felt the burn.

"Ow! What didja do that for?" I said, rubbing my face where it hurt.

"Oh, sorry," Kat said, not meaning it at all. "I was trying to get your attention, but since I didn't have a glass of water to throw at you…"

"Ha, ha. So what was it you were asking me earlier?" I ignored Kat's smirk.

"I said, 'But what about Jude?'" Kat repeated, a little annoyed.

"Oh, that," I waved it off. "We'll just tell her what we tell Tommy, and she'll fall for it. She'll think he wants to make up with her, and we'll trap them in there so that they'll either kill each other, which they won't, since their jobs depend on each other, or they'll make up and be closer than ever."

"Wow, Jamie," Kat said, her mouth hanging slightly open. "That was…That's actually a good idea. You know, now that I think about it, I think this could actually work." She paused for a moment, then whacked me on the arm as I coiled back in pain. "So what are you waiting for? GO!" she roared. I took off flying.

I ran into G Major, almost knocking over Tommy in my haste. "Whoa, watch where you're going, Andrews," Tommy said, a menacing look on his face. That guy scares me sometimes, the way he can make you want to crawl under a rock and hide until he goes away.

"Sorry, Tommy," I said quickly, hoping he wouldn't be mad that I almost mowed him over. "Can we talk?"

"This'd better be good," Tommy said, leading me into a small studio space. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"Uh…" I stuttered, trying to remember what Kat's and my plan was. Tommy looked slightly annoyed, when I remembered. "Oh yeah, do you know where someone could go to have a private conversation?"

"Duh," Tommy said, motioning with his arm the room we were in.

"What I meant was, someplace where people couldn't overhear you," I said.

"That depends, what kind of place are you looking for?" Good. I had Tommy fooled. At least I hope I did.

"Someplace a little out of the way, where no one could disturb you," I said without thinking.

Tommy looked at me, quirking an eyebrow up. "You mean you, don't you? Wait, are you planning something with Kat?"

"Uh, yeah, that's it. I want to tell her that I'm over Jude and I'm all about her. I just hope she'll take me back," I said. I hope I sounded convincing. Now, to get Tommy to meet me there. Suddenly, I had this great idea. "Do you think you could help me find the right words to say to her?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Tommy said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Even better, why don't we go there so that you can get a feel for it?"

"Yeah, sounds great," I lied. I gave Tommy the time and place, and he said he'd be there, ready to help.

I walked back out, where Kat stood by my car, tapping her foot impatiently.

"What took you so long?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"It doesn't matter, he's coming." I announced proudly to her.

"Yeah, great, no big deal. So's Jude." Kat looked bored now.

"Yeah, OK, great," I tried to sound cheerful, but the words I'd spoken just moments before echoed loudly in my head. "I'm over Jude…" Was I? Would I ever be? Who was I kidding? I'd been in love with Jude ever since we were kids. Ever since she chased me around the neighborhood for getting her all muddy. So how could I give her a chance with the one guy I knew she'd always wanted, if it meant that I'd never get a chance with her?

AN: Is Jamie having second thoughts? Will he let Jude and Tommy have their happily ever after? Read and review to find out!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. If I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already.

Note: This takes place right before Tommy comes to pick Jamie up (AN: OK, that's so not the way it's supposed to sound ;o)! ) and they're about to head over to the abandoned place.

A Storm Is Brewing:

I sat on the steps, nervously glancing at my watch for the umpteenth time. Then I saw a familiar flash of blue, and immediately stood, striding over to the driver's window.

The window rolled down, and Tommy killed the engine. "Change of plans, Andrews."

"What?" I said, thinking I'd heard wrong.

Tommy smirked. Man, I hated that guy, but I really needed him to help me pull this off.

"Relax, don't forget to breathe," he said, with a ridiculous smile plastered all over his famous face.

"OK, I'm good," I smiled tentatively. "So what do you mean, change of plans?"

"I mean, I can't drive down there. I can't risk the chance that something'll happen to my Viper." Tommy smiled again, this time pointing at my car. "Why don't we take yours?"

"Fine, whatever, let's just go," I said through gritted teeth. I got in, as Tommy grabbed a baseball cap and some extra clothes before getting out of his Viper. He checked his appearance in the rearview mirror, then slid into the passenger seat, ducked down, and put on the clothes he'd brought with him. Then he slid some shades and a baseball cap.

"What's with the disguise?" I said stupidly, getting on the road

"OK, first, I don't want to be recognized in this run-down object you call a car. Second, I'd rather be recognized as someone who doesn't hang out with other guys. And third, I'm Tommy Q. I do have a reputation to uphold, you know, so I can't go around palling around with the best friend of my artist," Tommy said, trying to be all diplomatic and nice. I knew he wasn't.

"Listen, Tom," I said, stopping the car and jabbing my finger in his chest hard. He glanced down, then looked up again and smiled. My finger hurt like hell, but I'd rather be ripped apart by sharks then have him find out. "First, this was the only car I could afford with my own money. What'd you drive around in when you were my age? Oh yeah, you didn't. You were stuck in some smelly old tour bus with four other guys, and the stench is enough to kill a whole bunch of skunks." I paused, and noticed when Tommy looked up, slightly miffed. "Second, do you really think I want to be seen hanging around with Lil' Tommy Q? The infamous popstar known for shaking his boyband butt? Please, I'm not some starstruck, wildly adoring teenage girl." Tommy smirked, probably remembering his legions of attractive female fans. "And third," I interrupted his thoughts, "I need your help in getting Kat's attention." I changed that last part, knowing that if I insulted him, he'd never agree to my plan. But little did he know how devious I could be. I had some plans of my own to carry out, and little Tommy Q was going to be my pawn.

"OK, Andrews," Tommy nodded. "So, what do you plan on saying to her?"

"I'm going to say…uh…and then…um…and when she says…well then…" I stumbled over my lack of ideas, noting Tommy's amusement. "I'm glad you find me so funny."

"OK, I think you need lots of help, but you've come to the right person. Here's what you say…" Tommy said, instructing me.

We finally reached our destination, and I found it just as I remembered. I parked in front, and noticed that we were the only ones there so far.

"Did Kat know to meet you here at 4?" Tommy said, glancing at his 18-carat gold Rolex.

"Yeah," I said, annoyed. "Maybe she's inside. Do you want to go in?"

"Sure, scaredy-cat. You can wait out here, and in case she shows, let me know." Tommy pulled his cap over his eyes, and adjusted his shades one last time before going in.

A few minutes later, I got tired of waiting around, so I went to check on Tommy to see if Kat was there. He had his back turned to the wall, and was talking on his cell. He turned around, and I shrugged. He turned back to his conversation, and I'd barely left him alone when I saw Kat pull up. She wasn't alone.

"Jude, what are you doing here?" My heart began beating faster, knowing if Tommy were to come out right now, he'd be furious at her presence. They were still at odds with one another, and I didn't want to be caught in the middle of it.

"Kat asked me to come with her, so I did," Jude said, a little defensively. "Jamie, what's up?"

"Uh, Kat, would you excuse us please?" I pleaded.

"I thought you wanted to talk to me about something," she said, reluctant to leave.

"I do, it's just…I want to clear something up with Jude first." I wondered if she'd ever leave.

"OK, I guess I'll take a look around this place." Kat said, and wandered off.

Once we were alone, I said to Jude, "Jude, there's something I want to tell you, but I don't know how."

"Jamie, come on. You know you can tell me anything. You told me you hated my song, and I got over it. So it can't be that bad, is it?" Jude gazed at me with her big blue eyes, and I melted.

"It's worse," I said. "Look, Jude, I asked Kat to bring you here so you could make up with Tommy…"

"What?" Jude exclaimed. "Jamie, he's the last person I want to see right now, and we're not exactly on speaking terms. How could you do this?"

"Jude, you need him. He's your producer, and you two need to be on good terms so you can keep churning out those hit songs of yours."

"Fine, whatever Jamie. Forget Kat, I'm leaving," Jude said, stalking away.

"Jude, wait," I said, but she wouldn't listen. I ran after her, and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

"What do you –" Jude said, her voice instantly muffled by my lips on hers. She immediately pushed me away, looking at me in confusion. "Jamie, I--"

Something in her voice told me that she was about to break my heart in a zillion pieces, but before she could say anything, I heard another voice behind me. This one was different, it was colder, angrier.

"Care to tell me what's going on, Andrews?" Tommy spat out. I didn't have to turn around to know his eyes were shooting daggers at me. I slowly turned around, and realized the depth of what I'd done, because Kat was standing right next to Tommy, her mouth hanging open in shock.

AN: Soooo, what do you think should happen next? If you have any ideas, please let me know. I might just use them ;o)! And please review, even if you hate it. I live for feedback, so the more I get, the faster I'll post.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I was going to wait to post this, but since it seemed like the perfect time.

Warning: I'm in a bad mood right now, since my dad moved my Instant Star tape that I was going to watch, and when I tore up the house trying to find it, and it took longer than I thought it would, and yelled at everyone around me, my dad grounded me, saying 'all that for one stupid tape?'), so yeah, lots of anger in this one. There's plenty more where that came from, and the next chapter will have Jude and Tommy going at it (I'll try and get it up sometime tonight if I get enough reviews), but I had to split it up so that it could be uploaded to the server (I tried getting it up earlier, but I kept getting this error message). Anyway, I hope you like it (despite the violence and language.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. If I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already.

Showdown - Part 1:

"ANDREWS!" Tommy exploded. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I saw his face turn from red to purple to absolutely livid, and saw Kat's expression. Except hers was one of shock, then disbelief, then hurt.

"Uh…" I said feebly, not knowing how to explain myself.

"Tommy, don't," Jude said. She jumped in front of me just as Tommy's fists connected with my head, my stomach, anywhere Tommy could get at me. Stars danced in front of my eyes as pain from Tommy's blows set in immediately.

"Let…me…at 'im," Tommy grunted, getting in a few good punches. After a couple, I was in such intense pain that I couldn't feel his blows any more. My head had felt as if a Mack truck hit it, then went into reverse over the same spot. Now, it was the same throbbing pain that would never end.

"Tommy, stop," Jude cried, as she tried unsuccessfully to stop Tommy from beating me up any more than he already had. "Kat, help," Jude groaned desperately, and Kat snapped out of it long enough to help Jude restrain a furious Tommy Q, who was putting up a hell of a fight.

"This isn't over, Andrews," Tommy threatened, as Jude and Kat managed to pull him slowly away from me. From my half-open eye (the other was already starting to swell shut), I could see him shaking his finger menacingly in my direction. "Stay away from me and mine, or else!"

"You know what, Quincy? I'm not yours, so don't go all control freak on me," Jude objected.

"What? You can't be seriously interested in Mr. I'm Not-Cool-Enough-For-Kindergarten, are you?" Tommy sneered. I wanted to bash the guy's head in so bad, but knew I'd be instantly pummeled further into a bloody pulp. The guy may be an ex-boybander, but he sure knows how to throw a killer left hook.

"Tommy, don't, just stop," Jude said, this time, a little more gently. Tommy looked at her, his eyes boring into her own, until she seemed to have gotten through to him. He glanced at me momentarily, his eyes narrowing in anger, and said, glaring, "We'll settle this later."

I gulped as I watched Tommy stalk away, Jude hurrying to calm him down, while Kat and I were left alone.

Kat's eyes were fixated on Tommy's and Jude's retreating forms, then she turned around as I cleared my throat.

"Kat, I…" I began, then winced in pain as Kat strode up to me and slapped me, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Jamie, how could you?" Kat turned, trying to hide her emotions from me.

"I don't know…it just happened, OK?" I admitted. The truth was, I hadn't planned on kissing Jude the way I did. I just couldn't get over how beautiful Jude looked to me, how she'll always be the same, no matter if she's upset, crying uncontrollably, or as stoic and mysterious as she gets when she's figuring out lyrics and music to her songs.

I tried to soothe the pain I'd brought her by stroking her hair gently, but she slapped my hand away. "NO!" Kat yelled. "Just stay away from me!"

"Kat, I'm sorry. I really am. Kat, please…" I begged, meaning it with my whole heart.

"No, you're not," Kat looked up, her eyes all red and blotchy from her obvious distress. "I should have known better. That you'd never get over your childhood crush on Jude. Stupid me, falling for you anyways. Thinking I'd be the one to get your attention." She sniffled, then added, "But she'll always have it, no matter who she's with or who you're supposed to be with." She looked at me again, and my heart shattered at the despair I saw in the depths of her eyes.

After a few minutes of silence, Kat spoke. "Just go, Jamie. We both know you want to. And when she breaks your heart with none other than 'lil Tommy Q, don't come crying to me. I might just not be around anymore. Jude's my best friend too, but I won't be second place to her. Not now, not ever. So who's it going to be? Me, or Jude?" She looked up, her gaze steady.

I paused, and carefully weighed her words. I couldn't answer her question, because I loved them both. So I decided to be honest, thinking that at least Kat would know I wasn't lying to her.

"Kat, I can't answer that. Not right now," I said, as Kat nodded.

"I see," Kat said, even though I knew she didn't. She turned and began to walk away.

"Kat, wait," I begged her.

"No, Jamie. I gave you a choice, and since you didn't choose, it's obvious it's Jude," Kat assumed.

"I didn't say that," I protested.

Kat gazed up at me, her words piercing my very being. "But you meant it, didn't you?" She walked away as I stood there, powerless to deny her statement.

After a few moments, I decided to go talk to Jude about what just happened. I figured she'd be done talking with Quincy, so I was trying to get up the nerve to tell her how I really felt about her.

_Meanwhile…_

"Tommy, wait," Jude said, trying to catch up to Tommy. "I can explain…"

"What's there to explain?" Tommy said, fighting to keep the hurt out of his voice. "I come out of the studio, and the first thing I see is you making out with Andrews. Not exactly the way I wanted to find you."

"I wasn't making out with Jamie," Jude protested, "He just kissed me…"

"Just kissed you…?" Tommy laughed bitterly. "He was trying to stick his tongue down your throat."

"Jealous much?" Jude challenged.

"Of Mr. McDork-face? Hardly," Tommy sneered. "I can get any girl I want, wherever, whenever."

"Except me," Jude boasted.

"Now, why would I want a girl who's not only my artist, but also 6 years younger than me, who would get me fired if anyone were to find out we were together, but wait…Then there's the fact that I wouldn't go near you since I don't take Andrew's castoffs." Tommy smiled meanly as his insults hit home.

"What? Tommy, come on! You were the one who kissed me at my 16th birthday, then my 17th, and 18th, and you took it back every time. You said it was because you didn't want to ruin my career, but you know what I think?" Jude said, not waiting for Tommy to answer. "I think it's because you're scared of commitment. First Portia, whose marriage to you lasted what? A month? Then you hooked up with my sister while totally crushing on me, and you told me you and Sadie weren't right, because she was a fan and only thought of you as Little Tommy Q, and not as a real person. And then you weren't interested in me unless I was with Shay, or Speed, or any other guy, but you could never bring yourself to admit your real feelings, because you're afraid they'll blow up in your face," Jude smirked in satisfaction, knowing she'd discovered the real reason for Tommy not committing to any one person by the way his face paled.

Then Tommy recovered long enough to say, "You know what, Jude? I think you're just scared because you secretly love Jamie. The boy-next-door, the constant admiration and affection? Instant boyfriend material, though not the ideal boyfriend type. And the dorky glasses and nerdy appearance? Just an added bonus, a perfect complement to your punk princess status. Like they say, opposites attract," Tommy stated happily.

"No, for the last time, Jamie's just a friend," Jude glared at Tommy as he muttered, "Right," under a fake cough. "And anyway, why do you care? You're my producer, not my dad, so my personal life is none of your business. So just keep your mouth shut and stay out of my life!" She stalked away, anger radiating off every inch of her body, and stopped only when Tommy spoke.

"I have just one problem with that," Tommy said simply.

"Just one?" Jude arched her eyebrows in annoyance. "And what would that be?"

"I'm your producer," Tommy declared. "We work together, so I'll always be a part of your life, whether you like it or not." Tommy smiled, and it faded as quickly as it appeared when he heard Jude's answer.

Now it was Jude's turn to gloat. "That's what you think. That anything and everything always involves you. Guess what, Quincy? It doesn't. I don't need you now, and I won't need your help from now on. In fact, I've never needed you, so when we get back, I'm gonna ask Kwest to be my producer, and I'll have you fired you from my album."

"No way, I'm not gonna let that happen," Tommy said firmly. "Despite what you think, I still have more say over you. You won't last 2 seconds against me."

"Funny," Jude observed, "That's not what I heard. Doesn't my contract say that I can switch producers if my current producer isn't helping me with every aspect of my songwriting?"

"No, it doesn't. And anyway, that rule doesn't apply to me. I'm the boss' right hand man," Tommy boasted.

"No, that would be me," I said, stepping out from behind the bush where I'd overheard most of their conversation.

"Since when? You can't even carry a tune, let alone play an instrument. Why would anyone make you part of the G Major staff?" Tommy scoffed, although his expression showed a mixture of shock at my sudden appearance and just the slightest bit of curiosity.

"That's what I wanted to tell you, but I never got a chance," I said, before Tommy rudely cut me off.

"Hmm…I wonder why. Maybe it's because you're bluffing, and this is just a really big joke," Tommy laughed, even though no one joined in.

"Or maybe," I said forcefully, staring Tommy down until my eyes hurt, "it's the truth, and it's the one thing you were being called down to a meeting tomorrow for?" I smiled victoriously as I watched Tommy's eyes widen in realization. Then almost as fast as I saw the shock register on his face, it was instantly replaced by a look of determination.

"We'll just see about that," Tommy vowed, walking back to his Viper.

Jude and I walked slowly back to my car, and since we didn't see any sign of Kat (despite our calls), we figured she'd gotten a ride back with Tommy. Sure enough, as we pulled back out on the road, we saw a flash of wavy dark brown hair next to a perfectly gelled head with all the hair slicked back.

Not another word was spoken on the way back, or even when we arrived back at G Major.

"What happened?" Kwest asked, looking at me in confusion.

"Don't ask," I muttered, as Jude made a beeline for Studio A and her guitar.

AN: Soooo, was this interesting? Boring? Let me know, OK? And please review. I live for them!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I had the hardest time writing this, so some of the characters will be, well, out of character, but just try and go with it, OK? Also, I know last chapter was part 1, but I wanted to add this in here, since I wanted to add a little humor to the story. So the next chapter will be part 2. I promise.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. If I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already.

Chapter 5 - The Calm Before The Storm:

Just then, Georgia came in. "Great, Jamie, you're here. I was in a meeting, but it let out early, and I want to spend more time going over some things with you, Kwest, and Tommy. Kwest?" she said, motioning with her eyes.

"I'll get him," Kwest muttered, knowing it'd be a lot more peaceful if he went.

Georgia raised her eyebrows, wondering what was up. I shrugged, and she began walking briskly toward her office, where she usually held her meetings. I quickly followed suit.

A few minutes later, Kwest came in, accompanied by Tommy. He glared at me as if to say, "I haven't forgotten the stunt you pulled with MY Jude." I acted nonchalantly and listened as Georgia began her introductions.

"OK, Kwest, Tommy, Jamie, I called this meeting to announce that Jamie will be joining us full-time. He will be working with both of you to get accustomed to mixing and producing. Once he gets the hang of it, he'll be taking over Rob's position, since he moved over to work for Darius' studio." Georgia paused, knowing the fireworks were about to go off.

"What? Georgia, you can't be serious. How can you hire Jamie?" Tommy fumed. "It's bad enough getting quality lyrics out of Jude, now I have to put up with her dorky best friend? He's just going to be another distraction that I really don't want to have to deal with right now. The least you could do is hire someone who knows what they're doing, not someone who hangs around desperately trying to make his kindergarten lyrics heard."

Tommy folded his arms and glared as Jamie snorted. "This coming from a cheesy former boyband member? Please, I don't need to hear that coming from someone who can't sing, can't dance, and definitely can't write good lyrics to save his life. I mean, come on, do you remember how he butchered Jude's first song? It was perfect the way it was, but Mr. Boyz Attack himself said, "No, not good enough. I want to ruin Jude's song so that she'll get laughed off the stage. Then she'll think twice about making a crack at Little Tommy Q."

Tommy lunged at Jamie, shouting, "I thought I told you never to call me that!" as Jamie sat back, taunting, "You let Jude call you that all the time." Kwest smiled at the scene unfolding before him while Georgia pried Tommy off Jamie. She then said softly to Tommy, "Tommy, calm down. It'll work out. Just like it did when you said you didn't want to work with Jude because she was trying to be all punk princess on you. And what happened then?"

Tommy ground out, "She turned out to be the best thing ever to happen to me, I mean, us."

Georgia raised her eyebrows at Tommy's Freudian slip, and Kwest shook his head, saying, "Don't go there, G. It's like opening a whole can of worms."

Georgia then asked Tommy and Kwest, "Do you know why I hired Jamie?"

They both shook their heads, still puzzled by Georgia's sudden move.

"Because Jamie knows Jude better than anyone else here. He knows where she's coming from, what she's going through, because they're best friends. They've been through a lot together, and they get each other better than any other two people I've known. Although," Georgia paused, smirking, "Kwest and Tommy here might give them a run for their money."

Kwest looked up in horror, saying, "Lord, no," and Tommy said at the same time, "That's just nasty. No offense, man."

"OK, that's about all you need to know. I'm gonna turn you loose now so you can show Jamie the ropes. Jamie, let me know if you need anything, OK?" Georgia smiled, wondering how the situation would turn out.

"Thanks, Georgia," Jamie said politely, and purposely looked at Kwest to see what he was going to make him do first.

"Uh, T, there's something I gotta do first," Kwest said, as Tommy shot him a look of pure hatred.

"Kwest man, no, you're not doing this. Not now, not ever." Tommy scowled, knowing Kwest was enjoying torturing them.

"It'll be OK, I'll just be a few minutes, then we'll see what he's made of." Kwest smiled and left as Tommy sighed, raking his hands through his hair.

Finally, Tommy seemed to come out of it, and he grudgingly spat out, "Let's go, Andrews. I haven't got all day."

Georgia spoke up again, "Oh, did I mention Jude's coming in any minute now?" She grinned devilishly as Tommy let out a deafening groan. "Have fun, you two." Georgia quickly pushed them out the door before they could object any further, and walked over to E.J.'s office.

"Let's see how Jamie and Tommy are doing in a few minutes, shall we?" Georgia laughed.

"I vote they're going to kill each other before Jude gets here," E.J. said, thoroughly amused.

"That who's going to kill each other?" Jude said, walking up behind Georgia.

"Oh, Jude, glad you're here," Georgia said, making sure she was back to normal, just like she was on any typical day. "Tommy's waiting for you, so go on in."

"Great, there's something I want to record," Jude said, oblivious to what was about to happen.

She went over, opened the door, and froze as her face paled. "Oh no…"

AN: Heh heh heh, I'm evil, aren't I? Review if you want to find out what happens next.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. And a special thanks to jcriminal714 – you really inspire me to keep writing. And Duddley111, your comment made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. Just kidding, but it did make me cry :o). Not that tommys21's review didn't help. I wouldn't have posted another chapter if it weren't for you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But you knew that already, so as promised, here's the next chapter!

Last time…

"Oh, Jude, glad you're here," Georgia said, making sure she was back to normal, just like she was on any typical day. "Tommy's waiting for you, so go on in."

"Great, there's something I want to record," Jude said, oblivious to what was about to happen.

She went over, opened the door, and froze as her face paled. "Oh no…"

Chapter 6: Showdown – Part 2

There sat Tommy and Jamie, glaring at one another as if the slightest an all-out war were about to happen.

Jude decided it was better to get it over with, so she cleared her throat.

"Uh, hi guys," she said, a little nervously. They stood up instantly, and both were trying to offer her their seat as they were the only ones there.

"Thanks, but I won't be long. Tommy, would you excuse us please?" Jude asked politely.

Jamie couldn't help but smirk in Tommy's direction, as Tommy muttered, "Yeah, sure. Don't mind me. Just kick me out of my studio to make out with Mr. McDorkface."

"Tommy, please," Jude said, this time a little more gently. Tommy gazed at her, and something in her eyes told him that nothing was going to happen.

"OK, but if you need me for anything…" Tommy said finally.

"Thank you," Jude said, as Tommy left. She looked over at Jamie, who still a triumphant look on his face.

"Jamie, we need to talk," Jude said, hating how that sounded.

Jamie's smile slowly faded as he blurted out, "Not exactly the words I was hoping for."

"I know," Jude replied gently. "Jamie, we've been best friends all our lives, and we've always been honest with each other, right?"

"Yeah," Jamie admitted, not liking where this was going.

"And that's why I need to be honest with you," Jude said, then paused, not knowing how to continue.

Silence fell, and for several moments, neither could look at one another. Finally, Jamie summoned up enough courage to ask her what had been on his mind forever.

"Do you love him?" Jamie said, raising his head to look at her.

Jude slowly looked at Jamie, noticing how hurt and upset he must be. "Jamie, he's my producer. You can't expect us not to have a relationship after spending so many hours in the studio together."

"That's not what I asked," Jamie said, then repeated his question. "Do you love him?"

For a long time, Jude couldn't answer. Finally, she spoke. "I don't know."

"Then I don't know if we can be friends," Jamie said, getting up and heading toward the door.

"Jamie, don't be like this," Jude cried out, rushing after him and grabbing his arm to make him stay.

"Be like what, Jude?" Jamie turned around. It was obvious he couldn't control his emotions anymore, as tears threatened to fall down. "How do you expect me to watch the woman I love throw herself all over her producer, who can't make up his mind about her?"

"It isn't like that, Jamie, and you know it," Jude protested, even though she knew there was some truth to Jamie's statement.

"I'm tired of watching Tommy hurt you, and you always come running to me. If you think I'm going to wait around forever, I won't. Until you figure out who it is you want, I don't know if I can be around you anymore," Jamie concluded, disappointment laced in his voice. He walked out, and Jude crumpled to the floor, sobbing.

Minutes later, Tommy came back in. He saw Jude on the floor, and knelt down beside her.

"Shh, Jude, it's going to be OK," he murmured, wishing he could take away all her pain and sorrow. She cried harder into his shoulder instinctively, as he continued to stroke her hair, her shoulders, her back, and he wiped her tears away with the back of his hand.

"Tommy, don't," Jude said, suddenly realizing what she was doing. "I…I can't do this, not with you," She got up, backed away, then turned and fled.

Tommy was left all alone, wondering how he could keep working with her after what happened. He buried his face in his hands, then raked his hand through his hair. Hours passed, as Tommy contemplated what he had to do. Finally, Tommy made what seemed like the most difficult decision he'd ever made, and he went to talk to Georgia.

AN: I know, kinda short, but I felt it was a good stopping point. Soooo, is it good? You tell me. And if you have any suggestions on how to make this better, I'd love to hear them. So please review! Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. Funkyicecube, love your username. And Duddley111, your comment reminded me to keep things real. And Tommy4eva, I couldn't agree more with your comment. I hope that doesn't happen on the upcoming episode.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters.

Last time…

"Do you love him?" Jamie said, raising his head to look at her.

Jude slowly looked at Jamie, noticing how hurt and upset he must be. "Jamie, he's my producer. You can't expect us not to have a relationship after spending so many hours in the studio together."

"That's not what I asked," Jamie said, then repeated his question. "Do you love him?"

For a long time, Jude couldn't answer. Finally, she spoke. "I don't know."

"Then I don't know if we can be friends," Jamie said, getting up and heading toward the door.

"I'm tired of watching Tommy hurt you...If you think I'm going to wait around forever, I won't. Until you figure out who it is you want, I don't know if I can be around you anymore," Jamie concluded, disappointment laced in his voice. He walked out, and Jude crumpled to the floor, sobbing.

Minutes later, Tommy came back in. He saw Jude on the floor, and knelt down beside her.

"Shh, Jude, it's going to be OK," he murmured, wishing he could take away all her pain and sorrow. She cried harder into his shoulder instinctively, as he continued to stroke her hair, her shoulders, her back, and he wiped her tears away with the back of his hand.

"Tommy, don't," Jude said, suddenly realizing what she was doing. "I…I can't do this, not with you," She got up, backed away, then turned and fled.

Tommy was left all alone, wondering how he could keep working with her after what happened. He buried his face in his hands, then raked his hand through his hair. Hours passed, as Tommy contemplated what he had to do. Finally, Tommy made what seemed like the most difficult decision he'd ever made, and he went to talk to Georgia.

Chapter 7: Choices…

Tommy slowly trudged toward Georgia's office. He saw that it was slightly open, and knocked politely.

"Come in," Georgia called. As Tommy entered, he saw that Georgia's office had its usual appearance: papers scattered everywhere, several lines flashing red on her desk telephone, and Georgia rummaging through them all. She looked disheveled for one so usually composed, and Tommy couldn't help but feel guilty about what he was going to spring on her.

"Can I get back to you?" Georgia asked whoever was on the line. She waited for a split second, then put the person on hold. She put the phone down, then folded her hands in her lap. "What can I do for you, Tommy?"

"Georgia, I was wondering if I could take a break. Just for a little bit," Tommy said.

"Sure, go out for a few hours, then come back. I do that sometimes when everything's piling up on you." Georgia looked relieved. She'd thought that Tommy had come to see her about something more important.

"Look, G, that's not what this is about. I meant, could I take a break? As in, I don't know when I'll be back?" Tommy said, waiting for Georgia to blow her top.

"I'm sorry, Tommy, I really am. Normally I'd say yes, but all our producers are booked. I can't afford to let you off for a few days, weeks, or even a few months, on such short notice." Georgia knew Tommy wouldn't take off like this, unless… "Tommy, is there something I should know about?"

"No, not at all," Tommy said, a little too quickly.

"Are you sure that it doesn't have to do with a certain famous redhead-turned-blonde?" Georgia smirked as Tommy immediately reacted.

"What makes you think this has anything to do with Jude?" Tommy said defensively.

"You said it, not me," Georgia shot back, triumphant. "Anyway, doesn't it always? You never leave when we're in the middle of an album. Especially not hers."

"Georgia, let me explain. I just can't be around Jude right now. Can't you put Kwest on it? Please?" Tommy flashed one of his thousand-watt smiles, and Georgia caved in.

"OK, but you owe me. Big. Jude's not gonna be the same without you producing her. I can see it now: Watch out, people! Make way for moody, sobby, Jude Harrison…She just hasn't been the same since former Boyz Attack member and former producer left her to fend for herself. Jude Harrison: Underage Druggie? Punk Princess Jude Harrison Thrown In Jail for Drinking, Vandalism, and Assault. And if anyone asks, I'll just be sure to tell them that it was because you left her." Georgia sat back, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"Fine, whatever," Tommy ground out. "It doesn't matter anyway. She doesn't want to be around me."

"Don't be too sure about that," Georgia replied, a gleam in her eye. "Since you're officially done for the day, why don't you go on your mini-vacation?"

"Thanks, chief," Tommy said, and practically ran outside to his waiting Viper.

Georgia murmured, "The things I do for them…" She got up, walked over to the studio where Jude was practicing. Kwest had taken over the soundboard, and another engineer was helping him.

She held down the button, and spoke into the intercom. "Jude, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jude put down her guitar, jumped up, and came over. "What is it?" Kwest glanced at the engineer next to him, and he got up and left like his pants were on fire.

"I've been thinking, maybe you need a break. You've spent all week in here, and I keep having to excuse you from school," Georgia hoped she didn't sound like she was promoting education more than she was music.

"No, it's great," Jude said, although Georgia thought she detected a little bit of insincerity in Jude's voice. "You're always after me to write something new, and I've written a lot of new stuff." She looked at Kwest, who quickly added, "Yeah, you should hear some of it. It's awesome!"

"If it's about heartbreak, toss it. I don't want you to become the next country music star," Georgia said.

"But…" Jude protested. She glanced at Kwest as if to say, "Back me up." Kwest just shrugged, clearly at a loss for words. He knew when to cross Georgia, and when to back off, and this was one of those times that he needed to let it go.

"No buts, Jude. I want you to go in there, and come up with a song that has a positive message," Georgia said firmly. "You're one of the voices of this studio, and I expect that you'll live up to everyone's expectations of how G Major artists are supposed to act."

Jude consented, knowing that if she didn't, more lectures would be given in her direction. She turned and began to walk away, but before she could take the first step, Georgia held out her hands. Without another word, Jude handed her lyrics over to Georgia, and walked away glumly.

"Oh, and Jude?" Georgia said. Jude was halfway to the door.

"Hmm?" Jude wondered what Georgia wanted to tell her now.

"Kwest will be your producer until further notice." Georgia waited for Jude's reaction.

"Great!" For the first time in a long time, Jude looked completely happy.

"Georgia, I can't, I'm swamped," Kwest complained. "Why can't Tommy be her producer?"

Jude flinched as Kwest mentioned Tommy's name. Georgia shook her head, and Kwest got the hint.

"OK, Jude. What about Jamie?" Georgia tried again.

Jude froze as Georgia mentioned Jamie's name, and it was Kwest's turn to shake his head.

"On second thought, I'd be glad to help out," Kwest said, just as Jude threw herself at him.

"Thank you, Kwest," Jude said, "You won't regret this."

"If you say so," Georgia said under her breath. She cleared her throat, and Jude glanced back at Georgia. "OK, go record if you're ready. Go write if you're not," she said as Jude took off, her notebook and pencil in one hand, and her guitar in the other.

"What about Tommy?" Kwest asked, slightly worried that Tommy would be upset if he knew Kwest had taken over producing Jude's album.

"Tommy's on break until further notice," Georgia said. She expected that Kwest would be upset; most of the staff would.

"Oh," Kwest nodded in understanding. Apparently, Kwest knew more about Tommy and Jude's situation better than most people gave him credit for.

"One more thing…" Georgia prompted.

"I know the drill. I'll have something for you tomorrow," Kwest promised.

"Now that's what I like to hear," Georgia clapped him on the back. "What are you waiting for? Go," she urged. Kwest did as Georgia told him, and she escorted him to the door. She followed Kwest out the door, and went into the main lobby.

"Hold my calls, will you?" she asked the main secretary. "I'll be back in a few hours." The secretary nodded as Georgia left the building. She knew better than to question the big boss lady.

Georgia got to the parking lot, and hopped in her car. She drove to two places, and bought an item from each.

"I can't wait," she thought, loving how good her actions made her feel.

AN: OK, I'm sure I gave away a little more than I wanted to, but I'm sure you can figure out what's next. Soooo, is it good? You tell me. And if you have any suggestions on how to make this better, I'd love to hear them. And I can't stress this enough, but please, please, please, keep your reviews coming! I even encourage flames! I got one once, and it helped me a lot with my writing (At least I hope it did. But that's up to you now, isn't it? I think reviews are a measure of how good one's writing is. So if I don't get that many, I'll feel like I've failed you all, and that I should just quit and spare the rest of you from the horror of reading my awful fanfics). Thank you!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. Funkyicecube, I'll try and speed things up for you a bit. But it will be slow at first. Duddley111, hmm…that's an interesting idea. I don't know yet, but when I do, I'll let you know. And Tommy4eva, I was wondering about that too. Except the girl said "Mama!", or something like that. And I love it when you rant. It makes me feel a little less guilty for ranting in my ANs (Does anyone actually read my ANs?).

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters.

Last time…

"Georgia, let me explain. I just can't be around Jude right now. Can't you put Kwest on it? Please?" Tommy flashed one of his thousand-watt smiles, and Georgia caved in.

"OK, but you owe me. Big. Jude's not gonna be the same without you producing her…And if anyone asks, I'll just be sure to tell them that it was because you left her." Georgia sat back, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"Fine, whatever," Tommy ground out. "It doesn't matter anyway. She doesn't want to be around me."

"Don't be too sure about that," Georgia replied, a gleam in her eye. "Since you're officially done for the day, why don't you go on your mini-vacation?"

"Thanks, chief," Tommy said, and practically ran outside to his waiting Viper.

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"Oh, and Jude?" Georgia said. Jude was halfway to the door.

"Hmm?" Jude wondered what Georgia wanted to tell her now.

"Kwest will be your producer until further notice." Georgia waited for Jude's reaction.

"Great!" For the first time in a long time, Jude looked completely happy.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Georgia got to the parking lot, and hopped in her car. She drove to two places, and bought an item from each.

"I can't wait," she thought, loving how good her actions made her feel.

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Chapter 8: …And A Truce?

The next day, Jude and Kwest began working on Jude's newest album. Jude had written a couple of songs, both of which Georgia had nixed, since they had been about Tommy in some form or another. Some were ballads about regret and heartbreak, others were edgier and angry, referring to the times that Jude felt alone and she took the opportunity to blame her mood swings on Tommy.

Jude was currently working on a third song, and although the lyrics were just barely finished, Jude and Kwest were having the most difficult time finding the right sound.

"Kwest, I still think it should be electric," Jude argued, frustrated and at her wit's end.

"Trust me, acoustic's the way to go," Kwest shook his head, sighing. He and Jude had been at it for days, and each of them was convinced that they were right.

"Let's go ask Georgia," Jude said, getting up from her seat.

"Fine," Kwest conceded.

They walked over to Georgia's office, and knocked.

Georgia opened the door. "Hi Kwest, Jude. Come on in."

Jude glanced at Kwest, wondering what was up. Usually Georgia had a meeting or was tied up on the phone.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Georgia said, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"How did you know we wanted to talk to you about something?" Jude asked, shocked.

Georgia laughed. "I know the both of you better than you think. Kwest never bothers to talk to me if he can avoid it, and you always come to talk to me whenever you have a problem. And," she checked her watch, "I knew it. Right on time. So, spill," she urged.

Kwest and Jude both burst out talking at the same time.

Jude: "Georgia, Kwest thinks the song should be an acoustic one. He's so wrong about that, please don't agree with him."

Kwest: "Georgia, Jude thinks it should be electric, you know, hard, fast, edgy. But that kind of sound just doesn't mesh with the lyrics. Would you tell her she's wrong?"

Jude glared at Kwest at that last comment.

Georgia held up her hands and surrendered. "OK, here's what I think," she paused, as both of them eagerly anticipated her judgment. "Both of you, go and make a track the way you think it should sound, then report back to me when you're done. In fact, go ahead and use separate studios, since you're so obviously about to rip each other's heads off. Kwest, you take Studio A. Jude, Studio B. Make me proud."

"Sure," Jude agreed. She was so ready to show Kwest that she knew what she was doing.

"OK," Kwest said confidently. He'd been in the business longer than Jude had been famous, so he was sure Georgia would side with him.

They finished their tracks in record time, and the next day they went to go show Georgia their own versions.

After hearing both tracks, Georgia leaned back, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know," she said. "Kwest, yours seems to be missing something."

Jude smiled triumphantly at Kwest, who slouched down in his chair.

"But Kwest was right about one thing," Georgia added. Jude's smile froze, then faded slowly. "The lyrics don't go with the sound at all."

"So, Georgia, what's it going to be?" Jude asked, more than just a little nervous.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted their moment.

"Excuse me," the delivery man said as Kwest opened the door. "I have some packages for Jude Harrison."

Jude walked over, wondering what it could be, as Georgia bit back her smile.

Georgia's POV: This is turning out better than I expected.

"Sign here, please," the delivery man thrust a pen at Jude. Jude quickly scribbled her signature, and the man gave the packages to her. After he left, she could barely contain her curiosity as she ripped it open with reckless abandon.

Tossing the wrapping paper aside, she opened the first box. There, inside, was a sky-blue, tea-length silk dress, which was slit up both sides. Jude squealed in delight as she felt the fabric between her fingers.

"I wonder what's in the other two boxes," remarked Georgia not so subtly. Jude gingerly set aside the dress, and opened the second box, which was considerably smaller than the first one. It contained dress pumps, which were the exact same hue of blue that matched the dress.

Jude practically tore open the third box, which had a pair of dangling silver earrings and a genuine pearl necklace.

"I wonder who it's from," Kwest said. "Jude, is there a card?"

"Let me look," Jude said, and she searched all three boxes. In the last box, a card fell out when she shook it upside down. She caught it as it fluttered down to the ground.

"Open it," suggested Georgia breathlessly, even though she knew she'd written it herself.

"What does it say?" Kwest wondered, as Jude ripped the envelope open.

Jude read aloud,

"Dear Jude,

I'm sorry for everything I've put you through, and I hope that one day you'll be

able to find it in your heart to forgive me. I need to sort some things out before I can

come back, but it won't be long before I see you again. By the time you read this letter,

I'll be waiting to meet you at the Chrome Cat. I hope you decide to come, because there's

something I really want to talk to you about. I wish you'd come soon. I miss you.

Love,

Tommy'.

Jude was stunned.

"Wow," Kwest murmured. He knew his best friend was crazy about Jude, but he'd never been this open and honest with anyone before.

"Double wow," echoed Georgia. "Jude, what are you going to do?"

"Georgia, I'm gonna take off early. There's something I need to do. But I'll have the song done by tomorrow, along with a new one." Jude rushed out before Georgia gave her approval.

"What do you think Jude needs to do?" Kwest asked rhetorically.

Georgia glanced at him, and replied, "With any luck, we'll have Tommy back by tomorrow."

"What are you up to, Georgia?" Kwest noticed the twinkle in her eye.

"You'll see," Georgia said, smiling.

Meanwhile, Tommy had gotten a similar letter, only his was from Jude (a.k.a., Georgia), saying that she understood the position he was in, and that she didn't want to jeopardize his career and reputation, let alone hers. The letter specifically stated that she'd finally forgiven him for breaking her heart more than once, and that she just wanted things back to the way they were before: Tommy as the producer, and her as the artist. They could be friends, but nothing more. However, it did add that there was something she'd wanted to ask Tommy, but she couldn't do it over the phone, or through email, as that would be very unlike her. She was the type of girl who liked getting up in someone's face, especially if that meant dealing with the ghosts from her past. So she'd asked him to meet her at the Chrome Cat, where she'd be waiting.

Without another moment's hesitation, Tommy jumped in his Viper, and floored it all the way there.

When he got there, Jude was waiting outside.

He got out of the car, and walked over to where she was leaning against her car.

"Hi," Tommy broke the silence first.

"Hi," Jude responded.

For a second, neither of them moved. But as they continued to gaze at one another, something inside them snapped. They threw themselves into each other's arms, and held one another for what seemed like an eternity. After a long time, they broke apart.

AN: Soooo, what do you think? I'm dying to know. And if you have any suggestions on how to make this better, I'd love to hear them. And I can't stress this enough, but please, please, please, keep your reviews coming! I even encourage flames! I got one once, and it helped me a lot with my writing. At least I hope it did. But that's up to you now, isn't it? So please review. Thank you!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. Jess, thanks for the tip. I think I might use that idea in a future chapter (I don't know yet). Chloe, you got it. This one's for all of you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But I do own Nicole.

Last time…

Tommy jumped in his Viper, and floored it all the way there.

When he got there, Jude was waiting outside.

He got out of the car, and walked over to where she was leaning against her car.

"Hi," Tommy broke the silence first.

"Hi," Jude responded.

For a second, neither of them moved. But as they continued to gaze at one another, something inside them snapped. They threw themselves into each other's arms, and held one another for what seemed like an eternity. After a long time, they broke apart.

Chapter 9: The Long Road Back

"Tommy, I-" Jude backed away again, realizing what she'd almost done. Again.

"Jude, wait." Tommy pled, letting his emotions get the best of him.

"Tommy, no," Jude fought to keep Tommy from embracing her. She struggled to keep him from hugging her, but he did it anyways.

"Hey, it's me," Tommy said softly, gazing into her eyes. "Your producer? Your wingman?" He touched his forehead to hers, and continued looking into her eyes until she finally calmed down.

They stood in silence, not touching, not moving. Finally, Tommy ran his hand through his hair, and spoke up.

"Look, Jude, about Jamie-" Tommy began.

"That's my business, not yours," Jude said, sounding defensive.

"I know," Tommy said, backing off. "I just, I wanted to tell you that I went through it with my best friend."

"Chaz?" Jude was repulsed.

"Not quite. His little sister. Her name was Nicole, and she was just about the biggest Boyz Attack fan ever. But her favorite member wasn't her brother, Chaz. It was me. Every time I had a break from touring, Chaz would invite me over to his place, and Nicole would always try to throw herself all over me. At first, Chaz thought nothing of it. He was happy that his little sister liked our group. But after a while, Chaz and I began having disagreements about little things, like the kind of music we wrote, our dance moves, everything. And it didn't help that he would go home and rant, and Nicole never took his side. She took mine. She told him that if he were any good like I was, that he'd have no trouble getting along with me. That it was his fault we were fighting, that he was the one stirring up trouble. I kept trying to tell her that it wasn't Chaz, it was just a difference in opinion, but the more I told her that, the more she saw me as a humble, modest guy trying to distort the truth from what it really was. Eventually, I quit the group, knowing I couldn't resolve the increasing distance between them, which I'd started in the first place, and to this day, Chaz has never forgiven me or Nicole."

Tommy stopped just then, and Jude looked at him. "Tommy, I had no idea."

"You never asked," Tommy returned evenly.

"Yeah? Well, you never mentioned it. Come to think of it, why do you always know everything that's going on with me, but I know nothing about what you're going through?" Jude wondered.

"Because I care," Tommy said. Before Jude could read more into it, he quickly added, "Look, if something's bothering you, you're not gonna be as good as you can be. I'm here to fix that. I'm the guy who listens to what you think, and I try to get you on the right track if you're not. I'm here for you, to listen, to give advice, or whatever else you might need. So, tell me what's wrong," Tommy said, drawing Jude back into his arms and just stroking her back gently.

"OK," Jude sighed, as tears threatened to fall once more. "How do you tell your best friend that you're not interested in a relationship?"

"There's no easy way to do that," Tommy stated the obvious. "But you can be a friend to him. Once he knows you're there for him, that you're always going to be there for him, it'll be a little easier to take."

"You think so?" Jude was still worried.

"Yeah, and if all else fails, set him up with Kat." Tommy said, as if that solved everything.

"A distraction…I like that," Jude said, beginning to smile a little. Then her expression turned serious. "So where does that leave us?"

"Jude, where is this coming from?" Tommy asked, thinking that he already knew the answer.

"Just something Jamie said," Jude replied.

"Would you mind telling me about it?" Tommy asked as politely as he could.

"He asked me…he asked me if I loved you…" Jude's voice trailed off, as she looked questioningly at Tommy.

"Do you?" Tommy asked bluntly, already knowing the answer.

Jude couldn't bring herself to say yes, but the look on her face said it all.

"Jude, you know we can't be involved," Tommy said, wishing with all his heart the opposite was true.

"Tommy, why?" Jude didn't think her heart could break any more than it had, but just when she thought she was as heartbroken as anyone could be, it got even worse.

"Jude, I can't. You're my artist, and I'm your producer. If Georgia finds out about this, she could fire us both. And I won't let that happen to you. You're just starting out. You've still got so many years ahead of you." Tommy hated doing this to her, but it was the truth after all.

"Tommy, don't. Not again," Jude begged.

"It has to be this way, Jude. Don't you think I wouldn't love to sneak around with you, stealing kisses when we're alone, holding hands, and just being with you? But what good is that if we can't be in love in front of the people who know us best? Your family, your friends, Georgia, E.J., the rest of the industry? I don't want to ruin your career, and you don't want me to lose my job. But at the same time, we can't stand not being together, but if we do, that means people will find out, either I, you, or both of us will be fired, and I don't work as well without you, and vice versa. So either it's friendship or nothing, Jude, take your pick."

"I choose...friendship," Jude conceded, looking completely miserable at the thought.

"I do too," Tommy said, gazing at her lovingly. Then he remembered he wasn't allowed to have feelings for her, and tried to change the subject by saying, "Come on, let's go in."

They walked in the club together, and noticed that there were a few people inside setting up tables and chairs.

"Hey, wasn't this a broken down club a long time ago?" Jude remembered when it came out over the news a few years ago.

"Yeah, but it's not anymore." Tommy took in the decor, then said, "Did you bring your dress with you?"

"Oh no," Jude clapped her hand to her forehead. "I left it back at the studio."

"Come on," Tommy said, "We've got to be back here in an hour, and it's a 20-25 minute drive one way." As an afterthought, he said, "Let's take the Viper."

"Why do we need to go back?" Jude said, puzzled. "Tommy, what's going on?"

"OK, I booked you for a couple songs, and you're on in an hour. So let's go already!" Tommy said, hoping she'd agree to it without complaining about how short-notice it was

"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to tell me about it now. Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Jude was furious.

"Because I didn't think you wanted to do it," Tommy guessed.

"Of course I do, I live to perform." Jude was still angry at him, but her animosity faded slowly as she looked into his deep blue eyes.

"Just, do it, OK? For me?" Tommy gave her his best smile, knowing she'd be putty in his hands in no time.

"Fine, but you so owe me, Tommy Q," Jude said. She thought for a moment, then said, "How about…I get to drive your Viper?"

"No way, I saw you drive before, and I'm not letting you touch my baby." Tommy said firmly, frowning.

"Aww, is widdle Tommy Q protective of his widdle car?" Jude said, using baby talk.

"Hey, don't push it," Tommy warned. "Let's just go before I smack something."

Jude hastily agreed (while trying to conceal her laughter), and they drove back as fast as they could.

Once they got the necklace, the dress, the shoes, they drove right back.

"Go get 'em, girl. Bring the house down," Tommy said, right before Jude took to the stage.

AN: Soooo, what's next? I've got writer's block, but you can probably guess that. I need your help to come up with something good, otherwise, the next chapter might be my last. And I hope the story flows well (although I know I kinda jumped from Jude being all mad and upset over the whole thing to laughing at Tommy's anger over being teased about his nickname and being protective of his car).


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Elizabeth Busa, props to you for being the only reviewer for my last chapter. Even though 90 people looked at it, you were the only one who bothered to respond. You so rock!

And of course I'm totally jealous of other writers who write a chapter and like 10+ people respond within the first 5 seconds after it posts (OK, gross exaggeration, but you know what I mean). It's so not fair! My writing doesn't suck, does it? I put a lot of effort into making it good, but every chapter I put up gets less and less viewers. I could do a one-shot, but I don't have that many different ideas. At least that haven't been done, since there are now like 450 people writing stories on the Instant Star page. And even though there are so many stories out there, I would think that people would actually want to review the ones they read. Or maybe like me, they're looking for ideas to write about. But I always manage to review a chapter that I read (since I know how much work goes into writing. But I guess I'm just a minority that way).

But if this keeps up, I think I'm going to quit writing forever and conclude that it's just not for me (even though I've wanted to be a writer for some time now, and was going to be one after I graduate from college, but maybe I'm just not cut out for this, and I'll let your lack of reviews shatter my dreams).

Now I know how Jude felt when she went on stage, and she dodged people throwing stuff at her. Poor Speed got a faceful of water though.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But I do own Andrew and the storyline.

Chapter 10: Is It Too Late?

Jude finished her set, then went backstage to change. She was so busy winding down after her set that she didn't realize someone had sneaked into her room. She felt a hand clamp down over her mouth, and as she struggled against her unknown attacker, she heard the person whisper in her ear, "Scream, and I'll make sure you never sing again. Fight back, and it'll be the last anyone sees you. Have I made myself clear?"

Jude nodded mutely, frozen in fear, and her attacker dragged her outside to a waiting van. She was then pushed inside and tied up so that no one would recognize her.

Meanwhile…

Tommy paced the floor, looking at his watch for the umpteenth time.

Tommy's POV: Where is she? She's supposed to be done by now. Maybe she's still in her dressing room.

He snuck past security, since he'd had years and years of practice, and he was able to move around, completely undetected. He got to Jude's room, and saw that it was open. Stepping inside, he looked around. Shocked at what he saw.

The room was neat, as if no one had been inside. Normally, a break-in would be messy, with the person trying to look for something, or at least there would be signs of a struggle. But the room looked like something out of a home for sale. And Tommy's gut instinct told him something was very wrong.

He whipped out his cell phone, and dialed a few numbers. He spoke as soon as the other person picked up.

"Dude, I need your help," Tommy said desperately. "Can you get over here ASAP?" the other person said OK, and Tommy hung up. He quickly snuck out to the main area, and waited anxiously for his friend to arrive.

Once the person got there, few people were still around.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," Tommy said to his friend.

"It's what I do," Andrew said. Andrew had known Tommy for years, and had been his personal security guard. After Boyz Attack had split up, Andrew joined the police force, and had quickly risen through the ranks. Now a detective, he was in charge of taking care of more serious cases, but was always willing to help out an old friend in need.

"So, what's the story?" Andrew said, as they stepped into Jude's dressing room.

Tommy quickly filled Andrew in on everything that had happened, and Andrew began looking for prints and other clues.

After his initial investigation, Andrew walked over to Tommy.

"There's no doubt about it," he said sadly. "Jude was kidnapped."

"By who?" Tommy said, clearly distraught.

"It could be a crazed fan, someone who wants something from her. Or it could be someone with an agenda. Someone who was hired to kidnap her. At this point, I really don't know." Andrew said, closely watching his friend's expression.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Tommy said, knowing he was, for now, in the same boat as he was.

"Wait for the first ransom call," Andrew shrugged. He'd seen a lot of these cases. Sometimes the person was rescued. Other times, the person was never seen alive again. But this time was different, because it involved a rockstar. He'd always wanted to take a case with someone famous, but he never imagined that it hit so close to home.

"Don't worry, I'll get whoever's behind this," Andrew promised. He saw what looked like despair mixed with shock on his friend's face. Was Tommy in love with her? He'd find out sooner or later.

AN: Please review! I live for them. Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: OMG! I can't believe it…8 reviews? That's gotta be like, a record, or something (at least for me). Thanks to jcriminal714, tommys21, ilovetommy - I really love your username ;o), Elizabeth Busa - love your name too :o), Chloe – hmm, there's an idea, Shannon, for always making me laugh, star08, and tampabay15. I'm blowing off studying for my trig final, but I flunked the class already (so I'm going to post as much as I can within the next day or two, since I haven't posted anything in a long time). Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: If I owned Instant Star, Jude and Tommy would be married, Stuart and Victoria would still be together, Georgia and E.J. would be back, and Sadie would be toying with both Kwest's and Liam's affections (I know Liam's evil, but you gotta love that accent ;o)!)

Chapter 11: First Contact

The next day, Tommy came in and got right to work, just like he always did. Except today, Tommy wasn't as focused on his work like he usually was. His mind was on Jude, and how she'd simply vanished into thin air. No clues, no idea who could have taken her. Around mid-afternoon, just when Lisa, the secretary, distributed the mail to everyone, she was puzzled to see a envelope with one word scrawled in red: "IMPORTANT" She went to Georgia's office, and knocked.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Georgia, but do you have any idea who this envelope is for?"

Georgia muttered, "I'll call you back," and hung up the phone. She looked curiously at it, and shook her head.

"No, I have no idea," Georgia responded. "Maybe it's Tommy's or Kwest's."

"I'll bring it to them," Lisa offered eagerly. She'd had a crush on Kwest for the longest time, but he hardly ever noticed her. And little Tommy Q? Even now, he was just as irresistible, and the fact that he still pined for Jude just made him even more attractive.

Lisa hurried out, hoping to catch them before they went out for a mid-afternoon coffee. It was their custom, since both usually worked late into the night.

"Uh, hi," Lisa blushed as she found them, hard at work. Tommy and Kwest were busy laying a track, and didn't even hear her come in.

"Lisa, right?" Kwest asked, trying to be polite.

"Yeah," Lisa blushed, as she struggled to remain calm despite Kwest remembering her name.

Tommy nudged Kwest and smiled, silently teasing him for being the object of Lisa's affections. Kwest just glared back at Tommy, then his expression changed instantly as he looked back at her. He was about to say something, when Tommy interrupted.

"Was there something you wanted?" Tommy said, pointing at the soundboard and then at his watch.

"Yeah, I got this in the mail today, but I don't know who it's for." Lisa finally managed to get it all out.

Kwest took the envelope, and turned it over, trying to find the return address. Seeing none, he said, "Man, is this yours?"

Tommy reached over and studied it. A few seconds later, Tommy said, grinning,"I don't know, but let's find out."

"I don't know about this," Lisa said, worrying that whoever it was for would be upset if he/she found out it was opened.

"It'll be OK," Kwest reassured her, and Lisa melted. "Whatever you say, Kwest." She spoke the last word softly, and smiled to herself as she relished the sound of it spoken aloud.

But Kwest had turned his attention back to Tommy, who had gotten it open and was looking at it as eagerly as a child ripping open presents on Christmas morning.

"What is it, man?" Kwest asked.

Tommy's expression faded, and he pulled out some pictures of Jude, tied up in various positions. First, on a chair, where her clothes looked like they'd tried to be wrenched from her body. Jude's hair was hanging out in small wisps, and there were bruises all over. Second, Jude was lying down, almost completely naked, and the three were horrified to see that she'd had bruises on her back, her front, and her sides. Her ribs were slightly visible, which they took to mean she hadn't eaten in a while. Third, there was a picture of Jude, playing a guitar. Her hands were raw and red, and it looked like she'd been playing for hours on end. Her callused hands, once rough from playing the guitar so much, had been used to the point where her calluses were open and bleeding, and had not been completely healed yet. And still, whoever had done this to Jude, had forced her to play even more.

Lisa stood back up, after leaning over to see what was inside. She couldn't begin to describe the shock she felt.

Lisa's POV: Who would do something like this? I don't know Jude very well, but I'd never have the nerve to do this. It must be someone she hurt, or someone who's trying to get back at her for something she did. I don't know what to think.

Kwest's POV: OMG, poor Jude! She must be suffering right now. All alone, no one to save her. Who's behind this? We've got to find out, before it's too late. Judging from the looks of it, Jude can't go on much longer like this.

Tommy's POV: Whoever did this to MY Jude is dead. I don't care how long it takes, what I have to do…I'm getting her back, and no one can stop me. Jude, if you can hear my thoughts, hang in there, I'm coming to get you.

After a few moments in silence, Lisa spoke. "Is there a note?" she said, her voice wavering a little.

Kwest looked inside. "Yeah," he said, his face paling as he saw what was written on it. "$1 million, or she gets it."

Tommy looked grim as he pulled out his cell and dialed a few numbers: "Andrew, you were right. We just got a ransom note." He paused, then answered, "We'll get down there right now." He hung up, and said, "Let's get to work."


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I couldn't wait to post this, so I promise to thank everyone who reviewed in the next chapter AN.

Disclaimer: If I owned Instant Star, Jude and Tommy would be married, Stuart and Victoria would still be together, Georgia and E.J. would be back, and Sadie would be toying with Kwest's and Liam's affections (I know Liam's evil, but you gotta love that accent ;o)! Everyone wants Kwest and Sadie to hook up, but if Sadie were to hook up with Liam, she'd have power over Jude, Kwest – who had to hand in his studio budget for Liam to approve, and even Tommy, who Liam pulled rank on over Jude's studio time a couple of episodes ago). Does anyone think that in Season 3, Tommy will regret leaving, and come back with his ex-niece to try and win Jude back? And do you think Jude will take him back? OK, I'm done rambling now. As always, I hope you like it!

Chapter 12: The Search Is On

Tommy, Kwest, and Lisa all piled into Kwest's car, despite Tommy complaining that his Viper would get there faster. Kwest patiently pointed out that the Viper was a two-seater, and that Lisa wanted to help. Lisa was flattered, but remained silent as Kwest stepped on the gas.

A half hour later, they arrived at the police station. They got out of the car, made a beeline for the entrance, and waited at the receptionist's desk.

A young woman in her early 30s was sitting there, and she looked up as they came in.

"Can I help you with something?" the receptionist asked politely.

"We're here to see Andrew," Tommy said.

"What are your names?" the receptionist asked. The three of them gave their names, and the woman wrote them down. "It'll be just a few minutes," she said, as she pressed a few buttons on the intercom and spoke into it.

For a few minutes, no one could speak. Finally, the receptionist called out, "He just got here, and should be here in a minute."

They thanked her, and sure enough, Andrew came in shortly.

"Do you have the note?" he asked.

Tommy nodded, then reached into his pocket for it.

"Don't touch it," Andrew warned. "We want to check for prints, any distinguishing features on there, any details you might have missed." He led them to the crime lab, where people were busy looking at slides under a microscope.

"Wow," was all Lisa could say. She scanned the room, taking in all the sights before her.

Some of the people glared at them, because they were disturbing their concentration. Others shhed them, then went back to their work.

Andrew took a seat further away from them, and got out the needed materials.

"What's this do?" Kwest wondered, pointing at the bottle in front of him.

"It helps to enhance fingerprints on something, like a piece of glass, a picture like the one you have, anything at all. Put these on," he instructed, throwing each of them a pair of latex gloves.

Tommy looked grossed out as he snapped the gloves on. "These make me want to hurl," he whispered to Kwest. Kwest laughed, despite people looking them and glaring again.

"Why is that?" Lisa summoned up enough courage to ask him.

"The smell of rubber, a doctor's office, needles…" Tommy looked repulsed.

"Aww, poor baby," Kwest mocked. "Are you a widdle scared of the big mean doctor?"

He laughed, then Tommy shoved him.

"Hey!" Kwest said, almost falling out of his chair.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to work here," Andrew said sharply.

"Sorry," Kwest and Tommy replied, as Lisa quickly muffled her laughter.

A few minutes passed. "See anything yet?" Tommy was never patient, except for when it came to Jude.

"Got it," Andrew said, carefully putting the prints he'd gotten off the picture into a sealed plastic bag. He labeled it, then said, "Let's blow this picture up. Maybe we can see something that we missed."

They headed off into the dark room, where Andrew made them wait outside.

After a while, Andrew re-emerged and ushered them inside. "Do you recognize anything?" Andrew asked.

"No," Kwest said, searching the picture for clues.

"Don't think so," Tommy said. Then his eyes froze on something. "Wait a minute, does that look like the number 125 to you?"

The four of them squinted at the picture. "Yeah, it does," Andrew agreed. "Now the question is, is that a house number, an apartment number, a hotel room number…"

"It's a house number, definitely," Kwest suddenly said.

"How do you know?" Lisa asked, awestruck that Kwest could be so intelligent.

"See right here? Where the candle's by the window? We know it's taken sometime during the day, because the sun is just coming out. And it's just light enough to see a shadow of something going by, maybe a car, truck, or van. Whatever it is, it's got a blue streak. Right, Andrew?" Kwest said, thankful that he'd read enough mysteries to help them through this one.

"I think you're right, Kwest. I'll look up all the addresses in this area, and if I don't find a 125 anywhere, I'll start making the search area bigger. Why don't you guys wait here, and I'll get some food delivered?"

"Thanks, Andrew," Tommy said, just as his stomach growled. Kwest and Lisa laughed at him, and he protested, "I can't help it, Jude and I used to eat every hour together when we were working on her songs." Then they all turned somber for a moment, and Kwest said, "Let's do this for Jude, OK?"

"Count me in," Lisa offered. "Tommy?"

"Me too," Tommy said, worry laced through his voice.

"Don't worry, Tommy, I'll get her back for you," Andrew said firmly, determination evident in his statement. "In the meantime, what'll it be?"

Kwest and Lisa said, "Pizza!" while Tommy said, "Linguini with mussels!"

"Too bad, man, you're outnumbered." Kwest laughed, then told Andrew what toppings he wanted. Lisa chimed in, and before he left, Andrew whispered to Tommy, "Don't worry, I'll have someone get it for you."

After Andrew left, Tommy turned to Kwest. "What do you think she's going through right now?"

"Don't know, man. Could be anything." Noticing the look on his best friend's face, Kwest reassured him. "It's just like Andrew said, man. Don't worry, we'll get this person. Whoever he is."

"Or she," added Lisa.

--

Meanwhile, Jude was lying in a dark room. Suddenly, the door was flung open, and her captor entered.

"Who's the Instant Star now?" the person taunted.

Jude struggled to speak, but her words were lost in the gag around her mouth.

The person strode over, and slapped her across the face. "What was that, Jude? I can't understand what you're saying. You should really speak up more, otherwise you won't make any sense."

The person laughed, and walked out, after having enough fun with her. Jude slid down, calling out to no one in particular, "Help me!" Tears slid down her face, and she collapsed in defeat.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: I'll be posting up a couple of chapters today, since I won't have any time tomorrow to write. Thanks to Chloe as always for reviewing – you rock! And tampabay15, star08, Shannon (I love your comment – it was so funny ;o)! ), Elizabeth Busa, ilovetommy (I can't get enough of your username ;o)! ), tommys21, jcriminal714, and everyone else who reads my fanfic (but doesn't review). Thank you all – I love you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star, but I wish I did. Enough said.

Chapter 13: One Step Forward…

Andrew had the receptionist call in their order, and immediately set to work on sectioning off the search area. He surrounded himself with maps, usual escape routes, anything that would give a clue as to Jude's whereabouts. He spent the next few hours hard at work, and came to talk to Tommy, Kwest, and Lisa to update them on his plans.

"You look awful," Andrew said to Tommy, noticing the sad look in his eyes, flattened hair, and how he was busy fiddling with the zippers on his leather jacket. His gaze roamed over to his untouched slices of pizza, and smiled as Kwest and Lisa's plates were empty, except for a few crumbs.

"I can't eat, I can't think, I just want her safe," Tommy said, helpless to control his emotions. "I want to find her, see if she's OK…"

"We all do, man," Kwest said, patting his friend's shoulder. "But you can't save her if you starve to death. Why don't you get a couple bites, then we'll go looking out in the streets for her?"

"Yeah," Lisa added. "Andrew, got a plan that will help us rescue Jude?"

"Yeah, I think this is the best way to go about it," Andrew said. He quickly filled them in on what he was planning, while Tommy managed to get a few mouthfuls of pizza down. Then they set off in Kwest's car, so that they wouldn't attract attention if they were spotted.

About 40 minutes later, Kwest pulled slowly up to the place. "Are you sure this is it?" He asked, looking anxiously at the property. It was a typical house in a residential neighborhood, except for the fact that all the lights were off, there was no car in the driveway, and the house looked like it had been years since it had a fresh coat of paint, and the yard looked as if it hadn't been mowed in months.

"According to the information I have it is," Andrew said. He glanced around to make sure no one was around, then motioned for everyone to follow him.

They crept up to the place, as it was now evening, and they got to the front door.

"What now?" whispered Lisa.

"Shh," Andrew put a finger to his lips, and shook his head. He motioned with his head to go in.

Then they noticed the front door wasn't even closed, and they slowly but quietly pushed the front door open and walked inside.

It was pitch black, and Andrew had brought some flashlights for them to use, in case someone was there.

"This way," he mouthed to the group. The house was almost completely empty, except for a couple boxes and a couple of chairs.

Andrew's detective skills kicked in as he quickly scanned the room. Then his gaze fell on one of the chairs, which was situated near one of the boxes. He walked over, and picked up a sheet of paper. He quickly skimmed over it, then read it aloud.

"Dear Tommy and Kwest,

I know the cops are involved, so I've taken her to a safer place. One you won't be finding anytime soon, not even with Andrew helping you. Good luck in finding her, guys. You're going to need it.

The Kidnapper"

Tommy cursed as he heard this, and Lisa asked aloud, "How'd they know about Andrew?"

"He, or she, just wants to psyche us out, make him/her think they're all professional. But sooner or later, they'll slip up, and that's when we'll get 'em."

Then Kwest voiced his concern, the one that Tommy had been too afraid to talk about. "What if it's too late? What if Jude's gone by the time we find her?"

The four of them looked at one another silently, not knowing what to say, then Andrew called the station to file a missing persons report.

AN: I know, it's a little short, but I think if they're short enough, I'll just have to post more often. Let me know if you like it so far (or if you don't).


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I wasn't sure I should reveal the identity of the kidnapper, but it'd make this chapter really difficult to write if I didn't. So here you go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star, but I wish I did. Enough said.

Chapter 14: …Two Steps Back

Jude awoke to find her temples throbbing, and her body aching all over. She groaned as she opened her eyes to see the bright lights shining directly into her eyes.

"Good, you're finally up," Nicole remarked. "I was beginning to get a little bored."

"Who- Who are you?" Jude stammered in confusion.

Nicole laughed, then became serious once again. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it? Everyone knows who I'm with, but no one knows me. Now it's my turn to be famous…"

"Did Eden put you up to this?" Jude said, still groggy from being beaten into unconsciousness.

"Eden? No, she couldn't stand being this cruel. Even she has her limits." Nicole mirthlessly laughed again. "But I, on the other hand, have had plenty of time to get my revenge, and I decided to start with you."

She walked over, bent down to Jude, who was lying on the floor, then grabbed Jude by her hair and pulled her into a sitting position.

Jude winced, and Nicole asked, "Not so strong after all…"

"Huh?" Jude didn't see what she was getting at.

"The question to your song, 'How Strong Do You Think I Am?'" Nicole said, as if the answer was right there in front of Jude. "I know, let's do something fun…Let's test how strong you really are." She laughed coldly as she shoved Jude back down, and kicked her repeatedly.

"Why are you doing this?" Jude cried out, whimpering in pain and trying to curl up into a ball to avoid getting even more hurt.

But Nicole only laughed in response.

--

Back at the abandoned house, Andrew had called a few more detectives to get in on the case. He quickly filled them in on everything, despite Tommy and Kwest's insistence on keeping the events surrounding Jude's disappearance a private investigation.

Then Mike, another detective who'd been on the force for over 20 years, and been a detective for over 10, had said he had an idea about setting a trap for them. The idea he came up with stood a good chance of being successful, and he told them he'd been thinking of how to make even better.

He suggested that they do a simple 'submit to their demands', but have a team of police officers ready and waiting to make the arrest. Of course, Mike told them that that kidnappers usually think there's some trap involved (which there was going to be), but if Tommy and Kwest waited a little longer to give them their ransom money, they'll second-guess themselves into thinking that there isn't any trap at all, and come right out to claim the ransom money. As soon as they touch the briefcase with the ransom money in it (which will actually be filled with real money), the police can make their arrest, and the police can find out who was behind it all.

Kwest listened carefully to what was being said, then asked, "How do we get in touch with the kidnapper?"

"That's easy," Mike told them. "They always contact you, and you can set up the meeting time and place, saying you'll agree to their terms. Then it's a simple bait and trap from there."

"What if someone gets shot?" Lisa asked worriedly, hoping Kwest wouldn't be injured.

"We'll have an ambulance nearby, in case anything goes wrong," Mike said, wondering which of the two men she was with was the one she was interested in. "Are you OK with this?" He asked them.

Tommy and Kwest emphatically said, "Yes!", while Lisa echoed their answer a split second later, and not as firmly as they did.

"What do we do now?" Tommy asked.

"Now? We wait," one of the other detectives said, as if this was the most obvious answer.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Sorry for not updating sooner. I did 3 or 4 rewrites before I was satisfied with it.I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star, but I wish I did. Enough said.

Chapter 15: So Close, But Yet So Far

As the detective predicted, Jude's kidnapper called a couple of days later. Mike had told us that they could do a trace on the phone, but to try and keep the kidnapper on for as long as possible, since it took a couple minutes to get a location. He suggested that Lisa answer the phone this time, because she had the best chance of all of us to get information on Jude's whereabouts. What we didn't know was that Nicole was in no mood to strike a deal with us.

"Hello?" Lisa asked timidly, as she glanced at the detectives, who already had their equipment set up.

"You're new. I've never heard you before," Nicole seemed disinterested.

"Yeah, it's…it's nice to finally hear from you," Lisa stammered. She couldn't figure out whether the woman had a high-pitched voice, a low-pitched voice, or an average-pitched voice, since the woman was barely speaking above a whisper.

"Save it. Get a million dollars, leave it in a suitcase by the docks by midnight tonight, and you'll have Jude back," Nicole commanded.

"Midnight tonight? I thought you said Friday. And anyways, don't you mean midnight tomorrow?" Lisa feigned surprise. She looked at the detective, who signaled that they would have a location in a minute.

Nicole laughed cruelly. "Ooh, a smart ass, aren't you? I know you've got the wire tapped. Bring it or else."

Lisa heard the sound of a click, then the dial tone. She looked over at the detective, hoping that she had kept the kidnapper on long enough to pinpoint the location.

The detective shook his head, and said sadly, "We would have had it in 40 seconds."

"But we did find out the kidnapper's a woman," Lisa said, hoping it was something to work with. "You can tell by her laugh."

"So either the kidnapper's a crazed fan, or someone out to get Jude." Kwest added. "Either way, that narrows it down to the entire Canadian population, minus us, G Major people, and the police."

"Hey," Tommy suddenly said. "We're in the music industry, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Lisa asked, wondering what he was getting at.

"Maybe there's a clue in the tape, something that we missed. A sound, an echo, anything."

"An echo? What would that have to do with anything?" Lisa asked. Kwest nodded in understanding.

"That would mean that the phone call took place somewhere with good acoustics. A vaulted ceiling, any music studio, you get the idea." Kwest explained.

The detective looked up from his seat. He had been replaying the tape to himself, while the three were talking. "Listen to this," he said. The tape played, and when it ended, Tommy spoke up. "Isn't that…"

"Yeah, it is. It's somewhere close to the docks." The detective smiled, knowing he had a good lead now.

"How can you tell?" Lisa said, rewinding and playing it over again.

"The surf. You can hear the faint sound of the surf crashing onto the rocks," Kwest's practiced ear missed nothing.

"Keep it up, man, and you'll be a great producer someday. Almost as good as I am," Tommy joked, trying to ease the tension.

"Whatever, man," Kwest ignored Tommy's comment, and knew he was already every bit as good as Tommy was.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Lisa said anxiously. She wanted to find Jude before anything bad happened to her. The two of them had become friends when Tommy and Jude had their arguments, and Jude stayed out in the lobby while Tommy locked himself in the studio to work.

"I just have to get a warrant to search these places, then we can go," the detective said.

They went to get the warrant, then the detective called in backup, just in case it was a trap.

They drove down in unmarked cars, so that they wouldn't be easily found out. They stopped by every possible building, so that they could check the phone lines. None of them appeared to have their number blocked, which, according to the detective, was a sure sign that they could be ruled out as possible sources of the call earlier that night.

"What about over there?" Tommy said, pointing to the abandoned warehouse that lay in the distance.

"Hmm, that's a possibility," remarked the detective. He motioned for the three to follow him, just in case the kidnapper pulled a gun or knife on them.

They entered the warehouse as quietly as they could, and stayed as close together as possible. The detective led the way, and Kwest was bringing up the rear, since he wanted to protect Lisa if they were attacked from behind.

Tommy saw that the warehouse was huge. It had corridors leading in many different directions, and any one of them might lead them closer to Jude, if she was even inside the building.

The detective whispered to them, "Whatever you do, don't split up. The kidnapper wants us to do that, so it'll be easier to pick us off. But if we stay together, it'll be harder to take on all 8 of us at once. As we cops always say, 'There's strength in numbers.'"

There were 5 detectives in all, plus Lisa, Kwest, and Tommy. So they huddled together and tried not to make too much sound.

The 8 of them walked slowly toward the corridor to the left, which seemed as good a place as any to start.

"Wait," Kwest said, stopping in his tracks. "We should leave a trail, you know. So we don't get lost and can find our way back out."

"Great idea," one of the detectives said. "Ever think about joining the force?"

"If we ever get out of here alive, I'll give you a call," Kwest said. "This place gives me the creeps."

And Kwest had every right to be afraid. There was no light in the darkened room, so they had no idea where they were going, or whether they were any closer to finding Jude.

Kwest looked at the group. "Anyone have anything we could use?"

They all looked at each other, and shook their heads. Then Lisa said, "Could we use Tommy's licorice?"

"What licorice?" Tommy feigned innocence.

"The ones you always eat," Kwest said, shuddering at the memory of using the soundboard after Tommy. It was always sticky, although Tommy swore he made sure to wipe it off.

A long look from Kwest made Tommy give in. "Fine, but you owe me. For every piece you use up, I expect to get a piece in return."

"Fine, licorice man," Kwest teased. Tommy was silent, but everyone could tell how angry he was getting over losing his licorice.

The 8 of them continued walking down the darkened corridors, and every creak they heard made them stop. Lisa was gripping Kwest's hand so hard, he was losing feeling fast. But Kwest was just as scared, and he didn't mind having someone's hand to hold. Especially not Lisa's.

Tommy tried to act brave, but he was secretly as afraid as Kwest was. Although, he reminded himself, if he showed any fear, they'd never let him live it down. And that was enough to make him act brave.

Once they reached the end of the corridor, they found themselves in a similar position. The hallway branched out into several other corridors, and they felt as if they were in a maze.

"Which way?" Lisa whispered.

"I don't know. Let's try this way," suggested Kwest, pulling her toward the second corridor on the right. Tommy sighed as they pulled off another piece of his licorice and put it on the floor.

What they didn't know was that they were being watched. Nicole had set up a surveillance room, so that she could keep track of who came in and who didn't. Even though most people stayed away from the building, she had set up hidden cameras all over the place, just in case the occasional traveler happened to get too close, and discovered her secret.

She slipped out of the room, and back down to the room where she had Jude tied up.

"Miss me?" Nicole said, walking over, grabbing Jude by her hair, and pulling her up, so Jude could look into her eyes.

"What do you want?" Jude cried desperately.

"Let's see, what do I want?" Nicole tapped her chin thoughtfully, then said, "What I want is for everyone to know that I should be the Instant Star, not you. That I should be with Tommy, not you. And the only way for me to do that is to make sure that no one sees you alive again."

"You'll pay for this," Jude warned, although her voice had been weakened by her cries for help.

"Not if they can't find you," Nicole laughed cruelly. She bent down and punched Jude in the face. Jude moaned in pain. Nicole scowled. "Now shut up, you're making too much noise." She beat Jude up until Jude fell unconscious. "That's better," Nicole said, making sure to tighten the rope binding Jude's wrists and legs together. "Sweet dreams, Jude." She chuckled lightly to herself before walking out to check up on the group.

When Nicole got back to her seat, she saw that they were a few corridors away from where Jude was. "We can't have that, now, can we?" She grabbed the letters she had prepared in advance, and grabbed all of her stuff. "Now, we disappear."

Nicole snuck back in quickly and dragged Jude out, making sure to leave everything else as she found it. "No sign of a break in, everything looking as it should be in an abandoned warehouse, perfect!" She muttered under her breath. She smiled as she walked out the door. But she failed to see that the rope that had bound Jude's legs together had slipped off when Jude was being strung along. It was lying next to a makeshift post, where Jude had been tied up all this time.

Nicole dragged Jude away from the group, and took a shortcut to increase the distance between them. Once outside, she slipped on some gloves and pulled her into a nearby hotel.

The concierge gasped as he saw the extent of Jude's bruises. "What happened?" He asked Nicole.

"Our dad…he was drunk, and took it out on her. I managed to get her away before he could hurt her anymore. Please, please don't tell anyone we're here." Nicole looked at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Of course. Just stay here as long as you need to. If there's anything you need..." The concierge asked kindly. "She looks like she needs a hospital."

"No!" Nicole exclaimed. The concierge looked at her quizzically. "I mean, no, I can't afford a hospital. I just need a place to stay until she gets better. Could I work here, so that we can both stay? I don't have much money, but whatever the difference is, I'll pay it off by working. I'll do anything, even clean toilets." She wrinkled her nose at the thought, and the concierge was touched by her earnestness.

"Tell you what, you've got yourself a deal. Only I want you to work in our back office, in case someone comes by and notices you. How does that sound?" The concierge smiled as Nicole said, "Thank you, sir!"

The concierge motioned the receptionist over. "John, can you help these young women find a room?" John nodded as the concierge returned to his station.

"Miss, I just need your name and your sister's name." John blushed as he looked at Nicole.

"Of course," Nicole said, scribbling down the name Nancy Cooper. For Jude, she wrote down Jessica.

The receptionist took the registration from her, and punched in a few keys on the keyboard. "Would you like a room on the first floor, or second?"

"Second," Nicole replied. "Do you have any rooms close to an elevator?" She asked this, since it looked like Jude would need it, considering the shape she was in. But the real reason she asked was that she could use the elevator to get down fast, in case she saw them coming.

"Yes, would you like room 217? It has a balcony." John offered.

"Perfect! Thank you!" Nicole said, making sure her smile was genuine.

After John had entered their information, he motioned for Gary, the bellhop, to take their belongings upstairs. He also asked him to carry Jude upstairs, since she was still out cold.

Once Gary had carried Jude upstairs, he went back down to get their things.

"Thank you, Gary," Nicole said politely.

"You're welcome, miss," Gary said.

"Please, call me Nancy," Nicole pressed.

"All right, Nancy. If you need anything, just let me know."

Nicole waved as he went downstairs, then dropped her act as soon as she walked inside and closed the door.

"OK, punk princess, I've got you right where I want you." She pushed Jude onto the ground, then got into the bed that Gary had laid Jude down on.

AN: What will Nicole do next? Review if you want to find out!


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Sorry for not updating sooner. I hope you like it! BTW, this story is told in Jamie's perspective. And anything that happens while Jamie's at G Major is also included.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star, but if I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already. And if you don't know by now, I'm a Jommy shipper! Jude and Tommy forever!

Chapter 16: Second Attempt

The next morning, Jude awoke to find Nicole barging in. "Ahh, you're finally awake," Nicole added as she drew up a chair and set down a bag in her lap. She opened the bag and took out some toast, sausages and some eggs that she had in a container. "Mmm…still warm," Nicole said, as Jude looked hungrily at the food. Nicole took every opportunity to torture her as she felt no remorse about eating in front of a starving woman. After she was done, Nicole looked down at her watch. "Right on time," Nicole said, as she got up and turned to leave. Jude whimpered, "What if I have to go?"

Nicole grabbed Jude by the hair and slammed her into the wall. Jude's head exploded with pain, and as if Jude wasn't injured enough, Nicole talked to her loudly and slowly to maximize it. "Read my lips, princess, I'm not letting you out of this room. If you make a mess, you clean it up." With that, Nicole smirked, and strode out the door.

Jude waited until she couldn't hear Nicole anymore. Then she broke down in sobs as she realized her predicament.

Meanwhile, Georgia was frantic when she couldn't get a hold of Tommy, Kwest, or Jude. She knew Kwest and Tommy valued their time away from the studio, since they practically lived there, and the only time they had left was valuable. She didn't want to bother Jude, since she figured Jude was in school, and she thought she'd try later on in the afternoon.

"Jamie, have you seen Tommy, Kwest, or Jude?" Georgia looked worried.

"No, I haven't seen or spoken to them in a while. Why?" I thought nothing of it, until E.J. overheard us and went crazy.

"Call the police! We should file a missing persons report. Call the NYPD if you have to. Get everyone out there on the streets! Just find them already!" E.J. went ballistic, as Georgia calmed her down.

"E.J., you're making it worse than it is. No use in losing our heads. I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later," Georgia replied, even though she had a sinking feeling about it.

Once E.J. left, Georgia turned to me. "Think you can notify the police?"

"I'm on it, G," I said, hoping Jude was OK. I even hoped Kwest was OK, since he was always nice to me. But Tommy? He can go screw himself.

I called the police just as Georgia had instructed, and was surprised to find out that there was already a missing persons report filed for Jude.

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" I pleaded with them. "What about doing a report on the news, asking if anyone's seen or heard from her?"

"I'm sorry sir, usually we do that when we receive a missing persons report, but since Jude is famous, we'll probably get a lot of people claiming to have seen her, just so that they can get the reward money. And since that will mean a lot more unnecessary work for us…you get the picture, don't you?" The police officer on the line sounded unsympathetic, as if he'd seen this a thousand times and it was no big deal.

I decided to try one more time. "What if there was no reward money? Would that work? Then all the golddiggers wouldn't be interested, but we might still have a chance."

The officer laughed. "Sorry sir, it just doesn't work that way. If there's no reward money, no one will respond."

"But you'll still search for her, right?" I clarified.

"Look, sir, we're doing everything we can right now. We'll send out search parties, but I can't promise you anything. Sorry." He sure didn't sound the least bit sorry, though, as he hung up. I held the phone to my ear a split second longer, as the dial tone sounded, then replaced the receiver.

I knew what I had to do. I went over to Georgia's office, then told her I'd be out for a while, and that I didn't know when I'd be back.

"Keep me posted, OK?" Georgia said, looking desperate.

"You got it, chief," I said, as I left her office and G Major behind.

I drove around for a few hours, hoping to feel some connection to Jude.

My POV: Jude, where are you? I'm trying to read your thoughts, trying to figure out where you are, but I'm not feeling anything. Have you really changed that much? To the point where I don't even know you anymore?

I tried to feel something, anything that would give me a clue as to where Jude was, but I felt nothing. But I wasn't about to give up that easily. I would rescue Jude, even if it killed me.

_Meanwhile…_

Jude remembered the cell phone that she had hidden. She pulled it out of its hiding place, then ignored the sound of her stomach rumbling. She quickly dialed some numbers, keeping an ear to the door.

Tommy's cell rang. He looked at the screen briefly, which read Number Unavailable. "Hello?"

"Tommy, it's me," Jude whispered.

"Jude, is that you?" Tommy asked hesitantly. He motioned for the detectives to track her location. They had everything set up from the previous time, so it wouldn't take so long.

"Yeah," Jude said, pausing to listen if Nicole was coming back.

"Hang on, girl, we're coming to get you. Are you OK?" Tommy asked, fearing the worst.

"I'm a little sore, but other than that, I'm OK." Jude said, trying to sound reassuring.

The detective said, "1 minute, and we've got her."

"Jude, listen, can you look around and tell me where you are?" Tommy said. Without her help, they'd be on another wild goose chase.

"I don't see anything. The room I'm locked up in has no windows." Jude realized the situation she was in was beginning to get worse, and she started crying softly.

"Shh, it's OK, girl, we're coming to get you. Is your kidnapper around?"

Jude stopped crying long enough to listen closely at the door. "No, she's at work."

"Work?" Tommy replied, curious.

Then Jude remembered something. She was at a hotel, and she had managed to glimpse the name and address of it as she pretended to be unconscious so that Nicole wouldn't suspect anything. She quickly gave them the address, as the detectives finally got what they'd wanted.

"Is there anything else you remember?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'm signed in as Jessica Cooper, and Nicole is Nancy Cooper." Jude was surprised, as her memories came flooding back.

"Nicole?" Tommy hadn't heard that name in years, but slowly everything was coming together.

"Tommy, who is she, and how do you know her?" Jude asked.

"Never mind, it's not important. Just hang on girl, we're coming for you," Tommy said, and said softly. "See you soon, OK?"

"OK," Jude said, still listening if Nicole was around.

"Bye…" Tommy said sadly, hating to end their conversation.

"Bye…" Jude echoed, with the same sentiment.

Jude hung up and hid the phone where she'd kept it before, then made sure Nicole hadn't returned.

Jude's POV: Who's Nicole, and why won't Tommy tell me about her?

AN: What's Tommy trying to hide from Jude? Will Jude find out? Will she be mad? Review if you want to find out!


	17. Chapter 17

AN: OMG, I'm soooo sorry for not updating sooner. And thanks to everyone who reviewed. I think I just set a personal best for the number of reviews I got last time. Thank you Alexz, tommys21, Alexis, Tanya50801, Shannon, and Chloe. Your reviews are all that's keeping me going. You guys are awesome! So, to give back all the support and encouragement you've given me, your wish is my command. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star, but if I did, Jude and Tommy would be together already. And if you don't know by now, I love Jommy! Jude and Tommy forever!

Chapter 17: One Last Glance

While Jude sat in suspense, Tommy paced as the detectives argued as to how to rescue Jude now that they had a location. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, snapping his fingers in realization.

"I've got it!" Tommy said, startling them. "I know how we can rescue Jude. Here's what we'll do. Lisa, you and Andrew here will pretend to be a couple who are visiting the area from out of town. I know you've seen Nicole before, Andrew, but she hasn't seen you in years. Maybe she won't recognize you, but even if she did, we've got to take that chance. Lisa, you're OK, since Nicole's never seen you before, so that'd be our best bet. The rest of us will come in from all sides, so that she won't be able to escape. Andrew, get a rescue team and snipers here ASAP, in case there's a hostage situation. Once they get here, let's go get Jude."

"Sounds good to me," Andrew said, then got on the phone with the station. "Andrew here, I need some more backup…" He quickly filled in the police officer on the other line, and within the hour, a few more police officers pulled up in several unmarked cars.

"We're ready to go," one of them said, and everyone headed out to the address Jude had given them.

Once they got there, everyone assumed positions around the hotel, using their cellphones to communicate.

"Everyone in position?" One of the officers asked.

"Roger," everyone called out in turn, except Lisa and Andrew, who said, "We're approaching the entrance."

"Stay on the line, we want to know what's going on in case there's a problem."

"OK, we're in," Andrew said, taking the phone from Lisa while they went up to the concierge.

"Hi, I'd like a room for me and my husband please," Lisa said, smiling politely.

"Your names?" the concierge asked.

"I'm Karen James, and this is my husband Nick," Lisa said, quickly coming up with aliases.

"Do you have any preferences as to rooms?" the concierge said.

"Oh, yes, we want a room on the second floor. Preferably one with a view, but close enough to the stairs or elevator. My husband has a bad leg," Lisa said, glancing at Andrew pointedly. Andrew caught on quickly as Lisa gave an almost imperceptible nod at him to start limping.

Andrew interrupted by saying, "Excuse me," as his phone went off. He turned around and began limping away.

"I don't mean to be rude, or anything, but wouldn't you both like something on the first floor instead?" The concierge asked, concerned about the potential customers' physical ability.

"Oh, no, Nick simply has to have fresh air, and we don't get much of that with all the smokers around," Lisa laughed it off, and was secretly pleased when the concierge agreed with her.

"I can relate to that. I'm allergic to smoke. Whenever someone starts smoking close to me, I can't stand it. I start coughing and hacking so hard, people think I'm going to cough up my lungs," the concierge shuddered. He looked puzzled for a second, then commented, "That's funny."

"Excuse me?" Lisa was curious.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just that the room you asked for is similar to another client. Room with a view, close to the stairs or elevator…"

"Oh," Lisa wasn't sure what to make of this news. Was the person the concierge was talking about Nicole?

An awkward silence passed before the concierge cleared his throat nervously. "Would room 216 be OK?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, that's fine," Lisa said, absently picking off a speck of dust off her blouse.

A few minutes later, the concierge had everything ready. "Here you are," he said to Lisa, handing her the room keys. "Let me know if you need anything, OK?"

"Thank you," Lisa said, taking them from him. "Nick, we're on the second floor," she called out to Andrew, who took her cue and followed her.

Once upstairs, they walked around looking for clues. However, when anyone was around, they'd pretend to look around as if they were lost. A few times, they asked where a certain room was, only to be directed in the right direction. They would thank them and go in the direction that they had been told, but as soon as the other person was out of sight, they would go back to looking for clues.

A few hours later, about 3:00, they had taken a break and gotten settled in their room. Andrew had gone out to tell the others that so far, they hadn't found anything. He left the cellphone with Lisa, in case she came across anything.

Lisa began putting her clothes away, when she heard moaning coming from next door. She slipped out of her room and went to investigate. Suddenly, she had an idea. She went back to her room and got the housekeeping number and stuffed whatever she could into her luggage. Then she walked out and called them, pretending that she had locked herself out of her room.

The housekeeper looked at Lisa quizzically when she heard moans coming from the room.

"Is there something going on in there that I should know about?" she said, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

Lisa laughed. "Oh, no, I just left a movie on in there. It's a horror flick, and I love scary movies."

"If you say so," The housekeeper walked away once she got the door open.

"Thank you," Lisa said, slipping inside.

Lisa followed the sound of moaning until she finally located it. What she saw was enough to make her vomit. There before her was Jude, tied up and gagged, with bruises all across her jawline and face.

"OMG!" Lisa exclaimed, horrorstruck. She quickly rushed over, unbound Jude, grabbed her luggage, and brought her back to her room and to the bathroom.

"OW!" Jude moaned over and over again, as Lisa washed her bruises and cuts.

"Sorry, Jude," murmured Lisa apologetically. "You're safe now." Once she had finished rinsing the dried blood off of Jude, she called Andrew. "I've got Jude. Go get Nicole."

"I'm on it," Andrew said. It was time to unmask his identity.

He shed his persona as Nick as he strode confidently into the hotel with the other plainclothes officers.

"Excuse me," Andrew said, "Do you happen to know a Nancy Cooper?"

"Why yes," the concierge said, "Why do you ask?"

"Nancy Cooper is actually Nicole Blackburn. We have reason to believe that she abducted Jude Harrison and brought her here, to this hotel." Andrew said.

"What?" The concierge thought he was bluffing. "Who are you, and why are you making such strong accusations? I will not have my hotel's reputation by some crazy, impossible claim that…"

"That what?" Everyone turned as they saw Jude speak. She was propped up against Lisa, who had helped her downstairs.

"That this man, and these men, claim that you were kidnapped. Is it true?"

"Yes," Jude answered truthfully, without hesitating for a second. "Why don't you ask her?"

"Nancy?" The concierge walked over to the entrance to the back office. "Could you come out for a second?"

"Sure," Nicole called out cheerfully. Little did she know what she was about to walk into. She came out to where the front desk, her nose buried in some papers.

When she looked up, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She dropped the papers she was holding, and tried to run.

"Not so fast, Nancy," The concierge was used to dealing with high-volume clients, and stepping directly in her path, Nicole was quickly caught. "Or whoever you claim to be," He grabbed her wrists and dragged her over to the police.

"Let go off me," Nicole spat out, trying to squirm out of his grip. The concierge released her, but only after handcuffs were put on her and she was read her rights.

The police started dragging her away, and Jude called out, "Wait!" She walked up to Andrew, and asked, "May I?"

Andrew looked at Jude, and said, smiling, "As you wish." Jude grinned, still wincing as her injuries were far from healed, and punched Nicole hard. As she watched Nicole turn back and spit at her, Jude punched her again, and again, taking all her hours of torture and hurt, and giving it back to the one who had given it to her in the first place. Jude eventually broke down, but not before Tommy grabbed her and held her in his arms, soothing her and murmuring comforting words in her ear. Once Nicole was black and blue all over, she slowly got up, grimacing. "This isn't over, bitch."

Andrew said, "For you, it is. I'll personally see to it that you won't see daylight for a very long time. At least not where you're going. Take her away, officers." Nicole kicked and screamed as she was being dragged away, taking one last glance at Jude and Tommy together, and shooting a look of pure venom at Jude. After she was gone, there was an uncomfortable silence.

"Are you really police officers?" The concierge was still stunned. Nothing had ever happened like this before, at least not in his hotel.

Andrew and the other officers laughed as they pulled out their badges.

"Wow," The concierge said. "I always wanted to be a policeman, but I could never get enough courage to do it. Angry mobs are more my type."

"Sir, we'd like to check out now," Lisa said, after handing Jude over to Tommy. She walked over to Andrew, and said, "How much do we owe you for the time we were here?"

"After what I just witnessed? It's on the house," the concierge said, smiling. "Just do me a favor."

"What is it?" Andrew asked.

"Stay safe out there, you never know what kind of crazy people are out and about." The concierge said, in all sincerity.

"Trust me, we've seen it all. Nothing surprises us anymore," Andrew said, speaking for the group. They all nodded, affirming his statement.

"Thanks again!" the group said, before leaving.

Meanwhile…while Andrew and Lisa were talking to the concierge, Tommy and Jude held each other tightly.

"Jude," Tommy said, bringing her chin up to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry…for everything."

"Tommy, it's OK. At least it's over…" Jude said, then turned away.

"Look, about Nicole…" Tommy said, as Jude started smiling. "What?"

"I can see why you and Nicole didn't work out," Jude said, as she started laughing.

Tommy joined in, and laughed with her. But their laughter only masked the inevitable question that they were so desperately trying to avoid: Are we still just friends, or are we something more?


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Thanks to Tanya, Rachel, Chloe, and Shannon. You guys are the best! Thanks for all your reviews, they really inspire me to continue. I know it's been a while since I updated, but I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hide Away, which is performed by Hilary Duff. I don't own Instant Star. CTV and Epitome Pictures do. Which explains why Jude and Tommy aren't together yet. Jude and Tommy forever!

Chapter 18: I Fall To Pieces

A few weeks passed, and I hadn't heard from Jude. None of us had. Then one day, she showed up at G Major, and everyone greeted her warmly as soon as she walked in the door.

"Is Tommy here?" Jude asked, just as soon as I had walked out to the main lobby.

"Jude, it's really good to see you," I said, meaning every word.

Jude looked good, and I don't mean it in the sense I usually mean. All of her bruises had completely disappeared, and I got the sense that she had finally come to grips with what she had been through. She may not have understood why Nicole did what she did, but she seemed like she had moved on, and been able to put the past behind her.

"Yeah, it's good to be back. I just felt like I needed to get out, you know?" For a second, I saw a glimpse of pain in her eyes, and I remembered how she had been locked up in a room for hours, being tortured in every way imaginable.

"Yeah, I feel that way sometimes," I replied, knowing that my long hours at the studio just couldn't compare to what she endured. "You got anything?"

"Actually, yeah, it's amazing how the worst experiences always bring out the best music in me," Jude said, fumbling around in her backpack. She drew out a couple sheets, and I looked over what she'd written.

"This is great, Jude. Are you ready to record it?" I asked, looking sympathetically at her. If she wasn't, I could wait.

"Yeah, let's go," she said, avoiding my gaze, and I wondered what was up with her as I led her to an empty studio.

I sat in my usual seat at the soundboard, as Jude took out her guitar. She began playing when I signaled for her to start.

Hiding Away  
Losin' my day  
As if it doesn't really matter  
Saying Goodbye  
Scared to say why  
Afraid it will shatter our world  
Show me some faith now  
Trust me somehow

Why are we keepin' our secret  
Why are we hiding ourselves away  
Everywhere we can hide away  
I don't wanna fake it  
I wanna make you believe, but I can't  
I won't let you...hide away

Where do we go  
How do we know  
What we're ever really after  
Sometimes it's clear  
When you are here  
Nothing can shatter our world  
I need some faith now  
To trust you somehow

Why are we keepin' our secret  
Why are we hiding ourselves away

Everywhere we can hide away  
I dont wanna fake it  
I wanna make you believe but i cant  
I wont let you...hide away

Maybe I, maybe I, maybe I'm losin'  
Maybe I, maybe I, maybe I'm broken  
Turn around, look around, go around in circles  
Don't run away, drift away, don't hide away

Why are we keepin' our secret  
Why are we hiding ourselves away  
Everywhere you can, hide away  
I don't wanna fake it  
I wanna make you believe but I can't  
Ohh, but I can't  
Believe what I said  
I won't let you hide away, hide away

Hiding away, losin' my day  
As if it doesn't really matter

As Jude's voiced drifted off into silence, I knew exactly what she was feeling. She wanted to know about Nicole, and why she was punishing Jude for, as she put it, taking her place.

"Jude, you wanna talk about it?" I asked gently. Jude looked up, tears threatening to fall once more. She nodded mutely, and walked through the door that I held open for her.

"About Nicole," I said, not sure how I wanted to word it, "She was Chaz's sister, and she'd always had a thing for me. When I split from Boyz Attack, Nicole sided with me, and not Chaz. Chaz never forgave me for that, and he and Nicole haven't been on speaking terms since. She never meant anything to me, Jude, I swear. Sure I flirted with her when we got back from tour, but it never amounted to anything beyond that. Ever since I met you, I you've been the one for me. I need you to believe that. Believe me when I tell you you're the only one for me." I gazed at Jude, my eyes not wavering for a second.

Slowly Jude looked up. She paused, then said softly, "I want to, Tommy, but I don't know if I can."

"Wouldn't you say we're even? I mean, first Jamie, then Nicole?" I asked, hoping that she'd see my point.

"Not really. Tommy, Jamie's always been my friend, but Nicole? You know she'll never let me have any peace until she gets what she wants, which is obviously you and my singing career."

"Jude, I promise, I'll take care of Nicole. I'll make sure she never bothers you again. Just…please, can't we start over?" I begged her.

"Tommy, I don't know. We've done this, what? A thousand times? And every time we always manage to screw things up again. I can't go through this again. I'm sorry," Jude said, as tears spilled out of her eyes and started streaming down her face. She rushed out of there like the place was on fire, and I ran out after her, tears beginning to stream down my face too. My heart shattered when I saw her leave, and I felt incredible pain like no other.

"Jude, wait!" I cried desperately, hoping she'd stop and give me the benefit of the doubt. Who was I fooling? There was no way in the world Jude could ever give me another chance. Unless…A plan formed in my head, and I nodded to myself, thinking, "Yes, that might just work."

AN: What's Tommy going to do? Will it work? Will Jude give Tommy a second chance? The faster you review, the faster I'll post.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: OMG, you guys are the best! I haven't been able to post in such a long time, because I was helping my friend move (she's moving way out of town), and I wasn't in the mood to write anything, since I was really sad (still am), and I won't be able to visit her since it's not within driving distance :o(. But I just wanted to thank MG, Tanya, Rachel, and Chloe (and everyone else who's been reading this), even though it's been a long time since you've heard from me. Thanks for all your reviews, they really inspire me to continue. I hope you like what I've written.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star. CTV and Epitome Pictures do. But I do own my own plot and my wish for Jude and Tommy to finally end up happily ever after. Or maybe not (since most of us want that too)!

Chapter 19: Facing The Demons From My Past

I drove over to a familiar place from my past, one whose front door I'd never thought I'd see again. My mind went blank as I saw my hand reach up and use the brass knocker that was affixed.

I waited a few moments before the door slowly opened, and a face peered out at me, frowning.

"What the hell are you doing here, Tommy?" Chaz started closing the door in my face, but I quickly put my foot in the door so he couldn't close it.

"Chaz, man, look. I saw Nicole…" I said, hoping that would shock him.

"Are you serious? No, of course you aren't. This is all a big joke, isn't it?" Chaz spat out bitterly, and said, mimicking me, 'Hey look, I'll go tell Chaz that his sister's back, and watch him freak, only to admit that it's all in fun. I love watching him squirm, just like a puppet on a string. Yup, that's me, the greatest puppetmaster in the world. I can make everyone do everything I want, even if it does take a bit of creativity." He rolled his eyes in disgust, then looked as if he was about to slam the door on me.

"Chaz, look, let's just forget the past, OK? I need your help, man. And this time, I really mean it. No jokes, I swear…" I promised myself I wouldn't break down in front of him, but Jude's life was in danger. And the only person who could stop Nicole would be her big brother.

"Oh, right. Of course," Chaz said, slapping his hand to his forehead. "That's what you said the last time, right before everything came pounding down on me from the top shelf of the closet you said your cables were on." He rubbed his head absently as I winced in memory.

"Chaz, I know, and I'm sorry, OK? But that was what? 9 years ago? We were kids, and we sure as hell acted like them. I thought maybe you'd forget about it by now, seeing as how we're all grown up." I said defensively.

"Some of us have," Chaz said, then lowered his guard down. "But even though I still don't trust you one bit, I do want to make up with my sister."

"OK, I'll give you that," I agreed. I stuck out my hand, and Chaz looked at it before hesitantly taking it. "To a temporary truce," I said, as Chaz clenched his jaw and nodded mutely.

"So what do we do about Nicole?" I said, knowing Chaz would know the best way to deal with her.

"Hmm, good question," Chaz remarked. He paused, then asked me point-blank, "Were the reports about her and Jude true?"

Now it was my turn to clench my jaw. "Yes," I said, recalling how helpless Jude was until we rescued her. Throughout her ordeal, she had shown remarkable strength, strength that would normally come from someone who was older and more experienced in the ways of the world.

"Why would she do something like that?" Chaz wondered. He looked at me, as if something about my expression would reveal the answer.

"I don't know," I said, although my guess would have been that she was jealous of Jude getting all the attention, the fame, the fortune. But I wasn't about to let Chaz know that. We'd just managed to resume a relationship that was based completely on speaking terms. "But more importantly, what can we do about it?"

Chaz snapped his fingers together, and said, "What if I set her up with you? She could never resist you, you know."

"Yeah," I said, thinking, "Who could?" Then I added, "Or maybe I could ask her out, only to set her up so that the police would be there to re-arrest her if necessary."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen. She was always good at getting out of sticky situations, and slipping right past us is like a walk in the park for her," Chaz noted.

"Then what would you suggest?" I said, running my hand through my hair. I had made a pretty good suggestion, even if I do say so myself, and Chaz had knocked it down, just like he always did. He could really get on my nerves, Chaz could, but even as I sighed impatiently, I pasted a smile to my face and maybe even agree to whatever ridiculous demands he came up with next.

"How about…" Chaz stopped, then shook his head. "No, that won't work," he mumbled to himself, and said aloud, "What about…no, that won't work either," We sat in silence, trying to mull over our next move. After a few minutes, Chaz suddenly jumped up and said, "I've got it!" as he began pacing the floor, talking to no one in particular. "Why don't we use you as bait? You know, say how you've finally come to your senses and realized that Nicole is the only woman for you?" He smiled sinisterly as I clutched my head and groaned in realization.

"No way, that'll never happen," I said, although I already knew that Chaz had made up his mind. Once that happened, there was no changing it, no matter what the consequences were. I could tell he was going to force me to date Nicole, so that he could take the credit for it and look like the hero he'd so wanted to be all these years. The one who could've saved Boyz Attack from breaking up for good, the one who got all the girls, the one who'd still manage to make everything work. Unfortunately for him, that was me.

"Fine, T. Then I guess I'll just have to tell her how you and Jude are on the rocks. Then she'll never leave you alone, and you know how that goes," Chaz said, knowing he'd won this round easily.

"Fine, man, but know this: I'll never feel for Nicole in a million years what I feel for Jude in a millisecond," I swore vehemently.

"Whatever you say, T. But I know you, man. You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you. Have we got a deal?" Chaz smirked.

"Whatever, man. I just want this to be over with," I said, already regretting my actions.

"Oh, it will. Trust me," Chaz promised. "So when are you free?"

"Anytime, man. Preferably during lunchtime, though. I don't want Jude to know about it, and it's best if it's done while she's at work."

"OK, I'll go set it up," Chaz said.

"Wait, why do you get to set things up? She doesn't trust you or me, so why would she believe you?" I asked, curious as to what Chaz had up his sleeve.

"Because, man, blood is thicker than anything. No matter how bad it got between Nicole and me, we've always managed to work things out. Except this, man, but she'll come around. She always did," Chaz said, although I wasn't sure he said that to convince me, or himself. "Now, it's time for you two to hook up already."

"What're you up to, Chaz?" I said, since my biggest suspicions were now confirmed. How would me and Nicole hooking up help Chaz? I had no idea, but I was determined to find out.

AN: What exactly is Chaz up to? And how does his plan fit into everything? If you have any suggestions, then please, tell me. I don't really know what to write next (I've been having writer's block like you wouldn't believe.) And please, keep on reviewing. Thank you!


	20. Chapter 20

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! I was so not expecting any reviews for what I just did, but I still got some! YAY! OK, now on to the special ANS (should I keep this section?):

jcriminal714, I totally agree. The only question, though, is how do I do it?

Shannon, that's a good idea, but that'd be too similar to Season 3. Plus I just came up with something (I hope you don't hate me for always turning down your ideas. Tell you what though, the next one you come up with, I'll try to work in. How's that? Let me know, OK?)

scott4eva, you got it. This one's for you (OK, they're for everyone else, too :o)!)

Chloe, I'm glad you liked it. Here's another one. Let me know if you like it (or not). This could all just be a dream. Or maybe a nightmare (lol)!

Tanya, interesting plot twist. I was thinking about writing somethinglike that.

OK, if I haven't bored you enough yet (does anyone actually read these AN's?),I decided to do this inTommy's POV (I'll switch back to Jude's POV later). Andeven though it'sreally short,it's all I could come up with for now. I'll try to make it longer next time. I hope you like this!

Chapter 20: Chaz's Revenge

"You'll see," Chaz vowed. Those were the only words he would utter, so I got bored and left.

The next few days passed with no word from Chaz. Then one day, as I was ready to head out to lunch, the phone rang.

"Tommy here," I said, sitting back down and propping my legs up on the soundboard.

"Hey T, it's all set up. Just meet Nicole down by that nice little French café down by the riverwalk."

"I don't know, man. She always did have a thing for ocean views." I said. Maybe it was because she always wanted to travel with us when we were touring. Usually, an ocean was the only thing separating her from us.

"Gotta love Nicole," Chaz said, chuckling to himself. "Anyways, man, you gotta go, before you're late."

"Man, I can't believe you bailed her out so fast. How'd that happen?" I was still puzzled about it.

"Connections, T. It's all about connections," Chaz hung up. Since when did he have more connections than me? I was still famous, even after 8 years of not being in the spotlight anymore. _Everyone_ knew me. And I mean _everyone_.

I glanced at my watch even as I cruised out the door. Damn, he's right. I guess I'd better get this over with.

I got to the restaurant as fast as I could, and parked the car myself, even though there was a valet waiting to park it for me.

I laughed softly to myself, thinking, "Oh yeah, I've still got it. And if you've got it, flaunt it" as I watched the valet's envious expression.

I walked in with the typical Tommy swagger, and was instantly seated at Nicole's table.

"Hey, did you miss me?" I said, as huskily as I could.

"What's with you, Tommy? I thought you were all up into little Miss Temper Tantrum. You know how she gets when she can't get what she wants," Nicole scowled, which made her look mean and nasty.

My POV: When did Nicole get so bitchy? Oh yeah, it was probably those years that I abandoned her when she was dying for my attention.

"Course not, Nikki, you know you're the only one for me," I lied through my teeth. Since I'd been in the spotlight, I'd learned how to lie and get away with it, even when I was lying to my closest friends and family members. Years of practice, and I still hadn't lost my touch.

"Aww, really?" Nicole brightened. Damn, that girl was gullible. Even Jude wouldn't have fallen for it. But Jude knew me well, sometimes even better than I knew myself.

"Course, girl. You'd know I'd do anything for you," I laid it on thick, because I had to sound convincing.

"You're too sweet," Nicole smiled. She looked at me, then looked shyly down. Was this another of her games? Was she really that gullible? There was only one way to find out.

"Hey, let's go to a movie after this, my treat," I offered, secretly hoping that she'd take the bait.

"OK," Nicole nodded agreeably, as she took my hand in hers.

We talked some more while we ate, and I was this close to finding out why Nicole was so cruel. It was years and years of pent-up jealousy, since I was always on the news with some girl on my arm, or in newspapers and magazines with rumors written in the headlines: Tommy Q finds love with another girl…Two Unidentified girls fight over little Tommy Q…Tommy Q leaves another girl heartbroken…

My thoughts were interrupted as I saw the door to the restaurant open.

"Tommy?" Sadie stood next to our table, crossing her arms and looking down at Nicole with the utmost loathing. "What is she doing here?"

"Sadie, this isn't what you think," I said, as I realized Sadie's anger.

"Sadie, come on, our table's this way," Jude said, before she saw Nicole sitting there. Instantly, Jude's face turned white, then red, as her anger got the better of her.

"YOU!" Jude lunged at Nicole, as Nicole threw up her hands to defend herself. The table tipped over as plates, glasses, and utensils crashed to the floor, clattering with a great noise.

"Jude, stop it," I shouted at her, knowing my efforts to restrain her were useless. Jude had launched herself on Nicole and started pummeling her as hard and fast as she could.

"Auggghhh!" Nicole cried, as I tried prying Jude off of Nicole. The manager came running over, shouting, "Mon Dieu! Sors d'ici tout de suite! (My God! Get out of here right now!)!"

He said this as he tried to push us out the door, and as I took a look back into the restaurant, I saw him standing there with a red face, shaking his fist in the air and yelling in rapid French, as all of the other people in the restaurant were watching, their mouths hanging open and their utensils dropping from their grasp, their meals temporarily ignored.

The other people continued to openly stare at us, even as the still struggling Jude was trying to hurt Nicole and had her fingers tangled up in Nicole's hair. Nicole whimpered in pain as Jude kept tugging, and the four of us were ushered out. The door slammed behind us, and Jude went wild. She tried to tackle Nicole, ram her into the side of a building, and fend both me and Sadie off from interfering.

My POV: Jude's one amazing girl. Once she makes up her mind about something, there's no changing it. But since I don't want this leaking to the press…

"OK, girls, that's enough," I said in my best authoritative voice. Both of them ignored me as Nicole tried to fight back.

"Hey, not so fast," I said, easily grabbing Nicole's hand before it came in contact with Jude's face.

"She started it," Nicole pointed at Jude, just as Jude pointed at her.

"OK, Nicole, you come with me. Jude, you go with Sadie," I suggested, turning my back. I think Nicole smirked or stuck her tongue out at Jude, which set her off again and I heard a "JUDE, NOOOO!" from Sadie, who was grunting from trying to hold her back. I pulled Nicole away from Jude and Sadie, and walked around the corner so that we could talk in private.

What I didn't notice is that someone was watching the whole time. Someone who muttered, "Soon, Jude. Soon you'll be mine."

AN: Should I continue? Review if you want me to keep going! Or if this is getting too predictable/boring for you.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! I can't believe you guys are still reading this! You all rock! OK, now on to the special ANS:

scott4eva, I'm getting there. Really slowly, but I am.

Chloe, your question will be answered in this chapter. I hope you like who it is.

Tommys my 21, thank you so much for your review. I really appreciate it.

Tommy4eva, thank you for not hating me. Your wish is my command.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Instant Star or the characters. But I really wish I did.

Chapter 21: Long Time No See

"Nicole, what is your problem?" I spat out at the blonde girl in front of me. "What are you, 5? Huh? Why is it everytime I see you, I always see you and Jude going at it?"

"My problem? It's Jude who has the problem…" Nicole was about to go on, but I cut her off.

"Oh that's right. Jude shouldn't be the least bit upset, not after you locked her in that room for days, never gave her anything to eat or drink, and you only went in to taunt her and beat her up. So no, she shouldn't be mad at you for everything you've done to her," I said as sarcastically as I could.

"OK, OK. I get it, Tommy. I see how much you love her, although for the life of me, I still don't understand why," Nicole pouted.

"Because, Nikki, Jude gets me better than anyone else. She's not shallow, unlike some girls I know," I paused to look at her pointedly. Nicole looked away, and I went on. "She really listens, and I just get along with her better than I do with most people. It's really not that hard to, considering we spend a lot of time together."

"Aww, how cute," Nicole sneered. "So what, you guys are like the perfect couple?"

"Yeah, you could say that," I smiled, thinking about Jude and imagining myself looking straight into her big blue eyes.

"From what I hear, your little fantasy's not going to last very long," Nicole warned.

"What do you mean?" I said, puzzled by her words.

"I heard Shay's back in town. Just for a couple days, then he'll go back on tour."

"Shay?" The mention of Jude's ex made my blood run cold. "Nicole, I gotta run. Thanks for the info." I didn't wait to hear her response as I ran out of the alley and back to where Jude and Sadie were.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Two-Timer himself," Sadie said, glaring at me.

"Sadie, would you excuse us please?" I said, wanting to have some alone time with Jude without any interruptions.

"Whatever," Sadie rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Jude, I need to tell you something. Something really important," I said, not knowing how to tell her.

"Tommy, what is it?" Jude looked worried. Probably because I'd started pacing, and looking really serious.

I decided to just tell her flat out. "It's Shay. He's back."

"What?" Jude said. "Are you serious?"

"Course he is, Shorty," Shay stepped from the shadows, completely unseen by us until that very moment.

"Shay? Is it really you?" Jude looked torn between shock and anger. The last time she'd seen him, he'd broken up with her and started dating Eden.

"It's me, Shorty. In the flesh," Shay looked as confident as he ever did.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on tour," Jude said. I could see her struggling to remain calm, although I knew she probably wanted to start yelling at him and throwing stuff.

"I'm taking a break. Just for a couple days, then I'm going back. I really wanted to see you," Shay said. He still knew how to charm Jude even after all this time.

"Well, Jude doesn't want to see you," I interrupted, as Shay's eyes narrowed in anger. "Come on, Jude, let's get outta here." I grabbed her hand, and Shay grabbed the other.

"Why don't we let Jude decide for herself?" Shay smirked, knowing he'd get points with Jude for that little remark. "So, what do you say?"

Jude hesitated, looking from me to Shay and back.

"Tommy…" I smiled, thinking she was going to tell me to kick him out of there. "…would you excuse us please?"

Shay smirked, knowing he'd gotten the better of me. This time, I promised myself. But not again.

"Sure," I said, trying to give Jude the same impression. I walked out of there slowly. Knowing Jude, she'd be slapping him in 5…4…3…2…1.

I smiled as I heard the sound of Jude slapping him right before I turned the corner. That was my Jude, all right.I watched quietly from behind the corner as I snuck peeks at them and strained to hear their conversation.

"Why did you leave me for Eden? You broke my heart, Shay, and I don't' think I can forgive you for that," Jude started punching at him, only Shay drew her into his arms.

"Shorty, I'm sorry. I am. I broke up with Eden. You were right, she's a pain to be around." Shay spoke softly to her, stroking her head and holding her closer.

"Why should I believe you? How do I know you're not going to break my heart again?" Jude cried openly now, as she pushed him away.

"Because, Jude, I want you to come on tour with me. Be my opening act. I'll even give you 30." Shay had learned how to make deals after watching his uncle take over his music and career and watch as it quickly grew from nothing into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

"Shay, I don't know," Jude said, looking up at him for the first time in minutes.

"Jude…" Shay said, looking deeply into her eyes. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

"DAMN IT SHAY! GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" I was steaming mad now. No one kisses my girlfriend and gets away with it.

"Tommy—" Jude sprang away from Shay, a guilty look on her face.

"Well, if it isn't Saint Tommy, come to save the day," Shay smirked, not the least sorry about what had just happened.

"You…Leave…Now," I shot Shay a menacing look. He just smirked. I guess Darius didn't tell him that I always follow through on my threats.

"Who's gonna make me?" Shay challenged.

I paused for a while, making him think that he'd won. Then I smiled, recalling our last conversation. "You know what, man, you're still not worth it. Not now, not ever," I smiled cruelly as I took Jude's hand and walked away.

Once Jude and I were alone, I turned to her. "Jude, what was that all about? You can't seriously be thinking about joining Shay on tour."

"I don't know, Tommy. Maybe I need to go someplace else for a change. Get out of this rut, you know? I'm constantly writing and recording, and I want to travel, see the world."

"Then I'll talk to Georgia, ask her to give you a big tour," I said, trying to please her.

"Really? You'd do that?" Jude jumped in my arms, all smiles, and I loved holding her in my arms. I could go on forever just holding her like this.

"Why not? Let's go ask Georgia," I said, pulling her into my car.

"Wait, let me just tell Sadie where we're going," Jude ran off before I could stop her, and before I knew it, she'd come back.

"What are you waiting for?" Jude said, pulling me behind her. Once Jude got going, nothing could stop her.

We got back to G Major, and went into Georgia's office.

"G, I have a favor to ask you," I said, knocking on her office door. I heard murmuring, then silence. Moments later, Georgia opened the door.

"Tommy, I'm in a meeting right now," Georgia said, shifting uncomfortably. "Can we talk later?"

"OK, chief. You know where I'll be." I turned and started walking away. Then I froze as I heard a familiar voice behind me saying, "Long time no see, T."

AN: I'm evil, aren't I? Mwah ha ha ha ha! I know it's not a good place to cut off, seeing as it's really short, but it's what I could come up with. So, should I continue? Review if you want me to keep going! And if you have any suggestions as to who the person should be, let me know! I'm kinda stuck as to who to make it.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! I can't believe you guys are still reading this! You all rock! Especially Chloe, Tanya, tommyandjude4ever, and scott4eva, who always review no matter how bad it is. You guys are the best! I'd make it better, but I really don't have the time to plan my stories out like I know a lot of people do.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Instant Star or the characters. But I really wish I did.

Chapter 22: Faces From My Past

I turned around slowly, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, even though I hadn't heard it in years.

"Darius, what are you doing here?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him.

"What I'm always doing, business as usual," Darius grinned widely as I sensed his

purpose.

"I'm just having a nice little chat with Georgia. She mentioned some money trouble, and I just wanted to help out." Darius smiled wider, and I knew exactly what that meant.

"Georgia, you can't," I said, as Georgia just shook her head at me as if to silence me. "I'll gladly take a pay cut, Kwest will too, just don't let…"

"Tom, I know how much you want to help, but it's good for us. We'll get more publicity, more artists, and we'll be able to break even real soon."

"Exactly, I can bring in Chaz as a producer, Shay and Nicole as my artists, as well as a lot more rising stars on the way," Darius stated the obvious. "Not to mention publicity. Everyone wants a piece of me, and artists all over will be fighting among themselves to be able to work here."

"G, don't," I said, this time more emphatically. But I saw Georgia's grim expression, and knew she'd already made her decision.

"So what happens to all the current artists?" I asked. Georgia saw right through my question.

"If you're asking me if you'll still be producing Jude, yes, until her contract is up. Then it's up for grabs. You know the rules."

"I know, but with Darius around…" I knew I'd struck a nerve when Darius flashed an angry look my way.

"What are you saying T? That I don't play by the rules?" Darius looked annoyed more than angry, but I still didn't want to tick him off.

"Course you do, D. By your rules, not THE rules," I said, since there was a definite difference. Darius scoffed at my obvious poke at him.

"Georgia, let me take a look at that paper again. I want to know if I have the right to fire certain producers who make their bosses upset." Darius snatched the paper lying on the table.

"You're not the boss of me yet, D," I said, and got up to leave.

"I will be. Sooner than you think, too." Darius said firmly. "Like Georgia said, will you excuse us please?" He smirked as I glared at him angrily.

As soon as I stepped out, I immediately looked for Jude. "Kwest man, will you give us 5?"

Kwest knew not to question authority. "I'm starvin' anyway. I wonder if this place has any decent food left around." He wandered out of the studio and left us alone.

"Jude, it's Darius. He's going to be taking over." I cringed, even as Jude's eyes grew wide, then she shrieked. "Darius? As in Darius Mills? Mega-producer, uber-famous multi-millionaire king of the musical world, uncle of famous rapper S to the H to the A to the Y? The Darius?" She shrieked again, and I remembered how I'd had the same initial reaction. That is, before I got to know the real him.

"Jude, look. Darius isn't all he's cracked up to be. Just like being a rock star. Sure, there are plenty of perks, but there are a lot of downsides too…" I trailed off as Jude continued jumping around and screaming her head off.

"OMG! I can't believe this is happening. Just wait'll I tell Sadie! And Jamie, and Kat, and Speed, and Kyle, and Wally, and Dad, and Mom, and…"

My POV: Come on, you have to tell her what Darius is really like. What he'll make her do. Just open your mouth and say something…anything. Just do it. Now. What are you waiting for? Go on. SAY IT!

"Jude…" I said, as Jude ignored me completely. She kept on ranting, "I'm gonna be big. This is unreal. I'm going to be huge. No wait, make that the biggest, best, most famous famous rock stars ever to live. I'll be right up there with…"

She went on, and I knew I'd lost her to Darius' empty promises. He just turned ordinary people into extraordinary musicians, and was always looking for the next best thing. Once you stopped giving him music that would be talked about for years later, like I did, he dropped you in search of someone younger, more green, someone who didn't know about the ins and outs of everything that happened in the music industry, someone who took your word for what it was.

Just then, Darius came by, with Georgia watching close by. "T, man. There you are. There's gonna be a few changes around here. From now on, only those who can afford studio time get studio time. Those who don't won't be allowed to stay here or practice. It's a new rule of mine. It'll free up a lot of space to make room for those who'll last. Just thought you should know." He gave a knowing look at Jude, as if she wasn't worth G Major's time or effort.

"D, don't you think that's a little harsh? I mean come on, not everyone who makes enough money from their music is worth listening to, while others who don't always get as much air time as they do are much better at writing meaningful lyrics and melodies, even if people can't recognize them."

"Tom, what have I tried to teach you all this time? That money talks! So if you don't have it, you're nobody. Everyone's interested in someone who's famous, who has the looks, the fame, the fortune. You just gotta learn how to keep it, 'cuz everyone wants a piece of it."

"That's exactly what I said," Shay commented, strutting in, as if on cue. "Uncle D, did you tell them yet?"

Darius smiled at his nephew, and said, "I'm getting there, Shay-Shay." Shay scowled at his uncle's use of his nickname from when he was younger, but knew when to keep quiet.

"What are you talking about?" Jude asked, puzzled as to what they were hiding.

My POV: Damn, I knew I forgot to tell her something.

"Shay's going to be recording here. After he gets back from tour. Just like you've been doing all this time," I said.

"Is there anyone else you want to fill me in on?" Jude's face had gone white. I guessed it was because of the little scene we had earlier, and Jude was afraid that it'd happen again. I'd bet my Viper on it.

"Yeah, Chaz, Eden, and Nicole are coming in to work here too," I saw Jude's eyes flash in anger as I mentioned her two arch nemeses.

My POV: This is going to be fun. Funner than fun.

"That gonna be a problem for you, Jude?" Darius asked, hinting that if there was, they'd all be kicked out.

Jude clenched her teeth as she automatically pasted a smile on her face. "No, none here."

"Good, because they're coming in tomorrow. So I suggest you all take off for now, and get some rest. Tomorrow, we start rehearsals for the tour. I expect you all to be here bright and early, because we have a lot of ground to cover. Don't expect to see any sunshine on your way in or out of this place. Any questions?" Darius said, just like a drill sergeant would.

Jude and I shook our heads no, and Darius smiled again. "Good, now go home."

As Jude and I exited, she said, "Do you think I'll be able to sneak some Pop-Tarts in tomorrow?"

"I don't think so, but I'll let you eat them in the car if you want," I said, giving her the next best thing. I knew Jude wasn't a morning person, and I didn't want her rushing at the last minute, so I offered to pick her up. She gladly accepted.

I dropped her off at her place, because her car was in the shop, and as I pulled up to her driveway, I noticed we hadn't talked the whole way there.

Jude looked at me and said, "'Night, Tommy," a little too coolly for my taste.

I grabbed her sleeve to hold her back. "Jude, about Nicole…"

"I know, Tommy, but when are you going to mean it?" Jude's eyes threatened to fill with tears again.

"Tomorrow. You'll see. If she tries anything, I'll be right there to stop her." I said, hoping she'd believe me.

"Yeah, that's when the two of you are in front of me. But when you're alone…" Jude hinted at the impossibility that I'd be making out with Nicole while she wasn't looking.

"…Nothing will happen, Jude." I finished her sentence. "Jude, don't even think about it. I know you want to, but tomorrow, you have to concentrate on your music. Forget about everything else. Forget what she did to you, forget about Eden, Shay, or anything that might distract you. We'll deal with it later, OK?" I gave her an I'm-in-this-with-you-so-you-don't-have-to-worry look.

"Whatever you say, Quincy," Jude sighed, as if this wasn't over.

"Go on. Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." I kissed her on the cheek, and was surprised when she didn't pull away. She got out of the car with barely any good-bye, and I watched as she walked to her front door, opened it, and went inside, with no good-bye wave or look back at me.

I sat there for a minute, looking down at the floor of my car.

My POV: I can talk my way out of any situation, but I can't fix a simple little problem between me and two young women? I've got to resolve this thing with Jude and Nicole, and fast!

I sighed also, just before I turned the key in the ignition and the Viper roared to life. I put the car in reverse, then floored it out of there. Tomorrow had enough problems of its own. I just hoped I wouldn't be the one to add even more.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! Especially Shannon, Tanya, tommyandjude4ever, Rachel, and Chloe, who are my most consistent reviewers. You guys are the best! I'd make it better, but I'm sick right now, and I'd rather be in bed than coughing and sneezing nonstop. My head hurts, so I'll make this a short one. But once I get better, I'll make sure it's longer.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Instant Star or the characters. But I really wish I did.

Chapter 23: Just When I Thought All The Drama Was Over

I got to the studio around 9, since I'd been working unbelievable hours the past week. Chalk it up to good old Darius, who insisted that Georgia was letting everyone off easy. Georgia agreed, but not because Darius made her. She decided to try it out and see how it went. Not one of her better ideas, because today she was off.

I walked inside to see Troy, Darius's usual choreographer, working with the stars. Jude was there already, shooting nasty glances at Nicole and Eden, who tried to trip her every time Troy was looking the other way. Jude had caught on to Eden's game, since Shay and Mason, another of Darius' artists, were too busy singing to notice.

"Stop! How many times to I have to tell you? It's like this," Troy was annoyed, even though they were learning a new routine and had been at it for an hour. He glared at Jude, who'd fallen into Nicole and had knocked Mason over.

"Sorry, I'll get it. Just as soon as Eden moves her big feet," Jude said, smiling innocently at Eden.

Eden scowled back, saying, "My big feet? What about your ability to screw up the dance moves? We've been at this for an hour, and everyone has it down but you."

"Yeah, right. It's not my fault you're always trying to trip me and push me into them," Jude fought back.

"Come on, I would never do that," Eden said, her voice dripping with sweetness. She glanced at Troy as if to say, Jude's the troublemaker, not me.

"Would you both shut up already?" Nicole was tired of them fighting all this time. "Let's just get this down, alright?"

"Yeah, let's," Troy cut in. "Enough arguing. My kids can dance better than you, and they're 6 and 8. And you call yourself professionals."

"Excuse me?" Shay said, getting up in Troy's face. "I did not just hear you say that I can't dance."

"Uh, yeah, you did," Troy said. "What are you going to do about it? Go running off to your uncle D and telling him that big, mean Troy just told you the truth? You might think you're professionals, and you're right. Professional babies. Now let's go people. I don't have all day!"

Shay glared at him, but kept silent. Mason kept quiet, and focused on getting it right. Eden, Nicole, and Jude glared at each other, but took up their positions again.

"And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…" Troy counted off as the group started dancing.

Darius walked by a few minutes later. "How're my artists?" he asked Troy.

"Take five, everyone," he said, and they all went off in different directions. Jude went off to write in her journal, and Shay followed her. Eden, Nicole, and Mason sat down, and didn't say anything to one another.

"I really think we should bring in some dancers. These guys can't dance to save their lives," Troy said. "How do you expect me to work with these people? They can't even keep up with the rhythm, their moves are stiff and awkward, and they're going to be booed off stage."

"That's what I hired you for," Darius said. "By the end of the day, I want them to have it down. So you're going to make sure that happens. Got any problems with that?"

"No," Troy said quickly, knowing that although he was tired of them not getting it already, he valued his job with the music mogul too much to give it up just like that.

"That's what I like to hear," Darius smiled. Troy walked away quickly, thinking about how to make them get it.

Meanwhile…

"Jude, we need to talk," Shay called after her.

"Leave me alone, Shay. We've already talked, and we both know it's not going to help," Jude said, reaching for her journal.

"Jude, please," Shay begged. He grabbed Jude and spun her around. "I'm sorry…for cheating on you, for hooking up with Eden, for everything. Please, believe me when I tell you that I want to take it back, so we can just start all over again."

"No, Shay, you lost your chance when you gave me up. I'm not letting you back in, not again." Jude remained firm.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shay responded softly.

"But we can still be friends, just not friends with benefits," Jude said.

"Deal," Shay said, holding out his hand.

"Deal," Jude said, taking it. As soon as she took Shay's hand, they moved closer and closer until their lips met.

"Aww, isn't that cute?" Eden said, not bothering to knock as she opened the door.

"Eden, leave us alone," Shay stiffened as she came in.

"Yeah, Eden, get out," Jude spat out.

"Hmm…let me think about it…No." Eden said, walking over to them.

"Eden, it's over between us. I love Jude, and I'd never do anything to screw that up." Shay said, taking Jude's hand.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. It's what you said right after we met on tour. Then we hooked up, and you ditched this no talent, wannabe rock star for a real woman. I can give you much more than she could ever hope to give you, and you know it. And if I have my way, we'll hook up again on this tour." Eden purred into Shay's ear, just loudly enough for Jude to hear.

"Eden, I…" Shay was about to respond when Jude grabbed Eden and dragged her to the door.

"Time to take out the trash," Jude said, opening the door with one hand while throwing Eden out with the other.

Eden just smirked at her, ignoring her last comment even as the door closed in her face.

"So, Jude, about us," Shay said, as soon as Eden was gone.

"Shay, I can't. I can't trust you, not after what you did." Jude grabbed her journal, and ran out of the room.

"Jude, wait," Shay called, not going after her, since he knew she wouldn't want to talk to him for a while.

Jude ran into one of the empty studios, and began scribbling ideas down for another song.

AN: So, what'd you think? Good? Bad? Like it? Hate it? Tell me, please! I really have to know!


	24. Chapter 24

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! I had the hardest time trying to come up with a song, but ended up choosing an Instant Star one, cuz it fit the best.

Special ANs:

tommyandjude4ever, thanks for the compliment. I know I loved Jude's comment about taking out the trash.

Tanya, don't worry. I'm working on it, and should have more Jommy up in this chapter and/or the next.

scott4eva, thanks for your comment. I'm still a little bit sick, but it's mostly over.

Chloe, you got it. Here you go.

Willa J, I can tell you're just like Jude. Rock on, girl!

judetomfan101, I couldn't agree more. But this chapter will deal a little more with their non-relationship.

Shannon, you're so sweet! I'm all over it (posting a new chapter, not the cold).

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or the characters. Only in my dreams is Tommy all mine, and Jude'll just have to settle for someone else :o)! LOL!

Chapter 24: It's Only Just Begun

Push Me, Pull You

I don't wanna lecture.

I've had enough.

You think you're so tight,

you think you're so tough.

You wanna change my world,

say that you know best.

Better look in the mirror,

take another guess.

Your nuclear reaction,

minor distraction.

Your positive is negative,

there's no attraction.

Push me, pull you.

I can see right through you.

Get over it.

Mover, shaker.

Learn to be giver, not a taker.

Think you're tall as a building,

you're just a little stump.

Think you move like an earthquake,

but you're just a bump.

You wanna change my world,

say that you know best.

Better look in the mirror,

take another guess.

Your nuclear reaction,

minor distraction.

Your positive is negative.

There's no attraction.

Push me, pull you.

I can see right through you.

Get over it.

Mover, shaker.

Learn to be a giver, not a taker.

Jude scribbled the words down as if they were flowing from her brain straight to the paper, and she was merely following along. Every now and then, she'd cross out a word, a phrase, only to replace it with the same one. After about 15 minutes, she had the whole thing written.

Jude rose from the place she had come to claim as her own, her private little sanctuary within G Major. The place no one dared bother her when she was feeling inspired, not even me.

She stalked over to the door, only to open it and find that Shay had been sitting outside waiting for her.

"Jude, please, I want you to know how sorry I am for hurting you," Shay said, his eyes gazing into hers pleadingly.

But Jude ignored him, and walked over to me.

"Tommy, I've got another one," Jude stated, thrusting the paper at me.

"You ready to record?" I asked, noticing the look Shay was giving Jude behind her back, and her obvious indifference to his pleads.

"Anytime you are," Jude said determinedly. We walked over to Studio A, and as I passed Shay, I smirked and shook my head at him, silently telling him, "You blew it, man."

Once we got inside, Jude slipped on her headphones as I sat down behind the soundboard.

"Push Me, Pull You, take 1," I said, as I flipped the switch to record.

Jude sang as she'd never sung before. Her emotions were completely exposed to the world, like she wasn't holding back. She sang with her heart and soul, and she was so immersed in the song that she was completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Once she had finished singing, she broke down into tears. I hated seeing her so broken, so desperately needing someone to love her, to support her like she supported and loved everyone around her. I came over to her, sat down next to her, and pulled her into my arms.

Jude moved her head and laid it on my shoulder, crying nonstop.

"Jude, shh, it'll be OK, it will," I said, trying to soothe her the best I could.

Jude didn't answer. Instead, she pulled me closer as she cried harder.

"Why can't I get over him, Tommy? Why do I let Shay hurt me over and over again?" Jude sobbed.

"Because you loved him," I said, hating to admit it aloud. "Because you have such a big heart, and you can't help but love him. That's the kind of woman you are. You're so loving and caring that no matter how many times you've been hurt, you find it within yourself to keep on loving them. That's what happened when Sadie and you were constantly fighting years ago, and that's what happened when Shay hurt you the first time, and that's what's happening now. And no matter how many times you hurt, know that I'll always be here for you. Even if I'm the one who's hurting you. You know I don't mean to, but I just…do. I guess we're too similar that we clash."

Jude's crying had stopped by now, and she looked at me in confusion at my last statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know that I'll always love you," I said truthfully. "But I hurt you because I kept telling you that I was too old for you, that I'd ruin your career, that we couldn't be involved…"

"And I loved you, and kept telling you that I didn't care about our age difference, or the fact that you're my producer and I'm your artist, and what the media or Georgia, or now Darius, would have to say about our relationship," Jude concluded.

I nodded. "Exactly. And even though we agreed that we loved each other, we fought all the time because we didn't see eye to eye on what to do about it."

"Now I get it," Jude said, hugging her knees to herself. "But what does that have to do with me and Shay?" I cringed as I heard Jude refer to herself and Shay in the same sentence.

"Same thing," I said. "You and Shay need to figure out where you stand with each other, and if friendship, or a relationship, is what you both want. Then you have to figure out what to do about it." I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping Jude would just be friends with him, since I wanted her all to myself.

"Thanks, Tommy," Jude said, reaching over and kissing me on the cheek. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"I'm just glad to help," I said, smiling like an idiot. I always lost control of my emotions whenever Jude was around. "Are you going to be OK?" I asked, knowing she could handle whatever emotional roller coaster she was put on.

"Yeah, I think so," Jude said. "And I think I know what I have to do. Thanks, Tommy!" Jude said as she got up.

"What's that?" I asked, as Jude took off. I got up quickly, and followed her to see what she was up to.

AN: So, what'd you think? Good? Bad? Like it? Hate it? Please, tell me! I want to know! And if you have any ideas, let me know. I'm all out of them right now.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! Seriously! I thought people would give up on reading this fanfic, but they aren't. I want to thank everyone who reads this fanfic. You're all awesome! OK, now on to the special ANs:

scott4eva, thanks for your comments. I think they're making me feel better ;o)!

tommyandjude4ever, you'll just have to read it and find out…lol!

Shannon, I honestly don't know what's going to happen. I'll just have to see what happens, just like everyone else!

MyCrAzyWorld, awww, I'm touched that you have faith in me. Thank you so much!

Chloe, hold on. There's more in the chapter after this one. Actually, I'm thinking about making it one whole Jommy chapter. Let me know if you want to read something like that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or the characters. Only in my dreams is Tommy all mine, and Jude'll just have to settle for someone else :o)! LOL!

Chapter 25: Prom Night (Part 1)

I watched silently as Jude ran after Shay. What was she up to?

"Shay, wait!" Jude called out.

"Look, shorty, if this is about you and St. Tommy…" Shay began.

Just then, Darius, Georgia, and E.J. came out. Darius and Georgia looked excited, as if they were planning something. E.J. was beside herself, and it was taking all of her self-control to keep her from bouncing off the walls.

"Just the two people I want to see," Darius said in a loud voice. He had this way of making everyone pay attention, even if it was completely crowded and noisy. When Darius spoke, everyone listened.

"Hey, Uncle D. 'Sup?" Shay said, coming over to his uncle. Jude also looked curiously at him.

"I've got a great idea. Jude, you and Shay will go to your prom, and Mason, Nicole, and Eden will come along and do a few songs. Georgia and I will go as chaperones, Tommy, you and Kwest will double as chaperones and DJ's. It'll be the biggest media event of the millennium!" Darius said, daring any of us to defy him. "We'll be able to promote our CD sales, have a contest so that some lucky winners will get tickets to your shows, and everyone will want in. So, how does that sound?"

"Great idea, Uncle D," Shay said, hoping to appease Darius's endless quest for more publicity. "I'm in."

"Me too," Eden said, striding up and placing her arm around Shay, "I just love performing. I'm not so sure about Jude though. The way she dances, you'd swear she didn't want to be a part of this company."

Jude clenched her teeth, and smiled just barely. I knew it was taking every bit of Jude's resolve not to attack Eden right then and there, and I couldn't be more proud of her then I was at that very moment.

"Oh, I'm definitely in, just watch out for Eden's feet though. They're so big, you'd better watch it or you'll trip over them, since she can't move them out of the way fast enough." Jude smirked, as Eden glared at her.

"Alright, that's enough. Come on, people. I've scheduled you for a triple rehearsal, so that we'll have everything ready in time." Darius signaled for them to move out, and Shay, Eden, and Jude slowly trudged out the door. E.J. ran up to Jude and started babbling to her about her look, what she wanted to do, what kind of dress she wanted to wear. I smiled as I saw a look of horror cross Jude's face when E.J. wouldn't stop.

I went over to Kwest, who was, not surprisingly, free, and I gave him the good news.

"Oh no," Kwest moaned, as I mentioned that our talents were needed.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"I was supposed to be Sadie's date that night," Kwest explained. "She wanted me to take off so we could spend some time together. You know how she always complains that she can't get to see me during the day, because she's glued to the desk, and I'm glued in here. What am I going to do?"

"Relax, man. I've got you covered. We'll switch off, and we'll both get a chance to dance with our girls." I said confidently. I was secretly writing a song for Jude that I was going to perform there in front of her. The only problem was, I needed D's permission to let me sing a song. He was so focused on marketing the others that there was a chance that I might get passed over, and no one passes me over, not even D.

"If you say so, man," Kwest looked at me doubtfully for a minute, then shook his head

"Listen, man, if D comes by…" I said to Kwest. He knew exactly what I meant.

"Tell him you're working on something and not to disturb you, I got it." Kwest finished. He could be so helpful sometimes. It's one of the reasons he's my best friend. Because I can always count on him for anything. Kwest nodded and walked away, leaving me to finish my creative masterpiece.

It took me several days to finish it, and I used every moment of spare time that I had. When I wasn't with an artist, I was busily writing, rewriting, or putting it to different kinds of music. I was constantly searching for ways to make it better, beyond acceptable, the best it could be. I had to let Jude know how I felt about her.

Finally, prom night came. It was time to pull out all the stops, Tom Quincy style.

I took extra care to look my best. Sometimes, presentation is half the battle. And I have to admit, that night, my hair looked extra perfect. My suit didn't have a wrinkle in it, my tie was impeccably knotted, all the way down to my dress shoes, which were so polished that I could see my reflection in them. I glanced in the mirror one last time, giving myself the most critical once-over. After a few moments, I smiled, not able to find a single thing wrong.

My POV: It's now or never.

With one last look, I grabbed my keys off the table and headed toward the door. I'd be taking my Chevy ZO6 tonight. No chance of me messing up my hair in the wind.

Just as I was about to open the door to leave, the doorbell rang.

My POV: Whoever it is, they'd better have a damn good reason to be here. I'm not messing this up, not for anything.

I opened the door, and the person behind it was not who I thought it was.

"Eden?" I was surprised, but managed to hide it well after years of keeping my emotions out of the spotlight.

"Tommy, I think we have some business to discuss," Eden said, coming in without waiting for my invitation. Not that I was going to give her one anyway.

"Eden, what do you want?" I said politely, purposely keeping the annoyance out of my voice.

"That's easy. I want Shay, you want Jude. It's a win-win situation for both of us if we go together." Eden smirked, as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. "Little Miss Punk sees us together, tries to hook up with you to make me jealous, and I get Shay all to myself. Not a bad plan, if I do say so myself."

I hated to admit it, but Eden did have a point there.

Note to self: Never let Eden know how you really feel about Jude. Damn, too late.

"I don't know about this," I said weakly, although my mind was already made up.

"Just think about it, OK? And in the meantime, I'm stranded here, so you might as well take me there." Eden looked pleased with herself as I looked out the door. She was right, there were no cars in sight, except mine.

"Fine, but if this backfires, it's all on you," I warned, even though we both knew she had a backup plan to get out of it if it did.

"Sure, whatever you say, baby," Eden took my arm, and led me outside.

I drove there in silence, willing myself not to look at her or talk to her, but she never broke contact with my arm the whole way there.

Note to self: scrub my arm until it bleeds, if I have to.

When I got there with Eden, Kwest was there, and Sadie was staring daggers at him from across the dance floor.

I took the opportunity to pull away from Eden, and sat next to Kwest.

"Giving you the cold shoulder already?" I teased.

"Don't go there," Kwest said miserably. He looked sadly at Sadie, and she turned away, frowning.

"Here, you'll be needing this," I said, taking out a CD from my coat pocket. "I always keep it here if I need to play something for Jude. It's for those times when I'm sorry isn't enough." I took it out of the jewel case, and slipped it in the player. Moments later, the song I was thinking of blared out over the speakers.

It was a nice, slow song, one that would have people dancing close together, and have them making up in no time at all.

Sadie turned around, and looked at Kwest. She came over slowly, and said, "Do you want to dance?"

Kwest smiled shyly, and said, "Only with you." He held out his hand, Sadie took it, and they made their way onto the dance floor.

I pulled out the paper I had written my song for Jude on, and quickly went over it in my head. Then I pulled out another CD, this one with Jude's song on it, which I'd labeled: To be performed after Jude sings. I laid it on the soundboard, and watched Kwest and Sadie dancing. I hoped that things between Jude and me would start off just as well as it had with Kwest and Sadie.

My POV: The night is young, and there's still plenty of things that could happen. I'll just have to help the good ones along, and keep the bad ones from happening.

I spotted Eden and Shay getting up close and personal. Fortunately, Jude wasn't there yet, and I wasn't going to let her see what was going on.

I grabbed a glass of champagne at the chaperone's table, downed it easily in one long gulp, and set the glass back down on the table. Just then, I saw that Jude was just about to come in.

My POV: Here goes nothing.

AN: So, what'd you think? Let me know, OK? Please?


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Thank you all for reading! You guys rock!

Special ANs: Thanks to the following people:

scott4eva, I'm not exactly sure what you meant by your comment about Eden's plan backfiring on Tommy, but I hope this is something similar to what you had in mind.

tommyandjude4ever, I'd like to see how this turns out too! LOL.

Chloe, now that I think about it, I don't know if I can write an all Jommy chapter, considering there are other people there (but I'll try).

Tanya, that's a great idea. I think I'll use it. Thanks for suggesting it!

And to everyone who's reading this, I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for reading! You all rock! blasting Instant Star music and driving my parents crazy ;o)

Does anyone know if there'll be a Season 4 or 5? I'd love to see if Jude's contract gets renewed, and she gets another 3-year contract with G Major, or if Tommy buys the Chrome Cat, changes it into another studio and signs her, and they live happily ever after.

Disclaimer: (I always forget this part) Of course I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But I wish I did. Then we wouldn't have to wait another 6 months to see Tommy and Jude hook up (if they even do in Season 3. But I'm thinking they won't for a while…even though I hope I'm wrong.) And I don't own the song Born To Love You, which is owned by the TV show California Dreams.

Chapter 26: Prom Night (Part 2)

"Jude, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked quickly, hoping she wouldn't see Eden and Shay getting all close and cuddly.

"Not now, I'm late for a sound check, and E.J. said she had the greatest idea for my wardrobe." Jude glanced around as if she were looking for E.J., and a split second later, took off towards her.

"OK, later it is," I mumbled to myself. I walked back to the soundboard, and adjusted the knobs on it so that Jude's and the band's amps didn't have any feedback or static. Moments later, Jude's classmates began drifting in, and pretty soon the gymnasium was packed.

Jude slipped on her guitar, greeted everyone, and started playing the first set. Mason and Nicole sang backup, and SME was playing like they were still on tour.

After the first set was over, the people cheered and clapped, and Jude and SME came over to get some drinks and mingle.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me, Tommy?" Jude asked. I gazed into her questioning blue eyes, and was really tempted to just grab her and kiss her breathless. But then she'd probably smack me, and I really don't want to ruin my perfectly good looks with a bruised cheek.

"Yeah, just listen," I said, putting up a finger as Kwest put on the music. I ran up there, as several girls started shrieking hysterically at me.

"OMG!"

"It's little Tommy Q!"

"I can't believe it! It's really him!"

I took the mic, and started singing as I made my way over to Jude, whose mouth was hanging open in shock. All the girls were sighing, squealing, or throwing envious looks in Jude's direction, and I made sure that Jude's eyes were only on mine as I gazed intently into her deep blue eyes.

Born To Love You

All the time I wasted  
All the nights and days  
Then you came into my world  
Now everything has changed

Something in the way you feel to me (mmmm)  
I want you and no one else  
You're the only one I see

CHORUS:

I was born to love you  
I believe it's my destiny  
I am yours, heart and soul  
And all the rest of me  
I was lost 'til I found you  
And now I know what to do  
I was born to love you

When the moon and sunlight  
Shines upon your face  
All the crazy facts of life  
Fall right into place  
All that really matters is so clear (mmmm)  
There's no question in my mind  
I have it all right here

I was born to love you  
I believe it's my destiny  
I am yours, heart and soul  
And all the rest of me  
I was lost till I found you  
And now I know what to do  
'Cuz I was born to love you

There's a higher love  
You remind me of  
All beauty and truth  
You stay on my mind  
Baby all the time  
You know there is no one but you

(guitar solo)

I was lost till I found you  
And know I know what to do  
'Cuz I was born to love you

I was born to love you  
Born to love you  
I was born to love you

Born to love you  
I was born to love you  
Born to love you

I was born to love you  
Born to love you  
I was born to love you

Born to love you  
I was born to love you  
Born to love you

As soon as the last remaining notes of the song faded into silence, all the girls started screaming and squealing and cheering and clapping. But none of their responses mattered to me. I looked at Jude, trying to gauge her reaction.

Silently, she pulled me aside to one corner, as all eyes followed us.

"Tommy, is it true? Do you love me?" Jude breathed out, unable to believe what she'd just heard.

"Yes, Jude. I've always loved you. I don't care who knows it, because nothing's worth losing you. Not my job, not the negative media attention this'll probably bring, not the thought of going to jail, not anything. You're all that matters to me. I'm just mad I didn't see it before, that I was so caught up in trying to please everyone that I forgot what I really wanted. Who I really wanted. You…" I saw Jude's eyes glisten with tears as she processed what I just admitted to her. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and brought her closer to me and held her as she struggled to compose herself again.

"Awww," the crowd sighed. Jude blushed, and I turned away so they couldn't see how embarrassed I felt.

"So what does this mean?" Jude wondered. "Where do we go from here?" I saw she was smiling now, knowing she'd beaten me, finally broken me and gotten me to admit my feelings for her.

"How about we start with this?" I said, as I brought Jude's face towards mine. Our lips touched, and all the emotion I was holding back finally surfaced. I attempted to go slow, in case Jude was having second thoughts, but she deepened the kiss immediately, and I gently pushed my tongue up against her lips. She opened for me, and our tongues did a slow tango as my heart started beating faster and faster, to the extent that I thought it would beat its way right out of my chest.

I could hear cheering and screaming as we stood there, kissing one another with all the passion we felt.

I broke it off, and immediately saw Jude's eyes cloud over with worry. "Tommy, don't."

"It's not that, I just…are you sure you want to do this?" I said, as Jude's face broke into a wide grin. She leapt up and pulled me back down to her. I lost all rational thought as I felt her kiss me eagerly and without restraint.

The crowd cheered again. It quickly died down, as someone walked toward us and I heard the sound of a throat clearing.

Jude and I broke apart, as our minds quickly registered who it was.

"Tom, Jude, what the HELL is going on here?" the person demanded, looking extremely upset. "ANSWER ME! NOW!"


	27. Chapter 27

AN: OMG! I can't believe you guys are still reading this! I'd thought most of you would have given up reading this a long time ago. Thank you so, so much! And I won't blame anyone if they stopped reading after this chapter. I'm planning to write something which I'm pretty sure no one's ever done before. Just don't hate me or hold it against me, OK? And in my version of what happens, I'm writing as though Portia is Shay's aunt, because he's too old to be Portia's son. But that's entirely my opinion. Feel free to agree/disagree.

Special ANs: Thanks to the following people:

Tanya and tommysmy21, I'm just getting to the good part. At least, I think it's the good part. But I won't know unless you tell me, so please review (or email me to tell me what you think).

Shannon, sorry about that. But without cliffhangers, it'd be kinda boring.

Camsma, I thought it was Darius at first too. But you'll just have to read it and find out ;o)!

timsleesa and hurrayforharrison, I hope you don't hate me, but I really can't tell you just yet. Read below to find out…

scott4eva, so do I. But the drama is just beginning…

Chloe, I really hate to tell you this, but I can't say until I start writing. I'm not one of those people who plan out their stories beforehand. So I find out either as I'm writing it, or as I'm just about to post it.

And to everyone who's reading this, I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for reading! You all rock! blasting Instant Star music and driving my neighbors crazy ;o)! )

_Previously…_

"Was there something you wanted to tell me, Tommy?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, just listen," I said, putting up a finger as Kwest put on the music. I ran up there, as several girls started shrieking hysterically at me.

"OMG!"

"It's little Tommy Q!"

"I can't believe it! It's really him!"

I took the mic, and started singing as I made my way over to Jude, whose mouth was hanging open in shock. All the girls were sighing, squealing, or throwing envious looks in Jude's direction, and I made sure that Jude's eyes were only on mine as I gazed intently into her deep blue eyes.

As soon as the last remaining notes of the song faded into silence, all the girls started screaming and squealing and cheering and clapping. But none of their responses mattered to me. I looked at Jude, trying to gauge her reaction.

Silently, she pulled me aside to one corner, as all eyes followed us.

"Tommy, is it true? Do you love me?" Jude breathed out, unable to believe what she'd just heard.

"Yes, Jude. I've always loved you. I don't care who knows it, because nothing's worth losing you. Not my job, not the negative media attention this'll probably bring, not the thought of going to jail, not anything. You're all that matters to me. I'm just mad I didn't see it before, that I was so caught up in trying to please everyone that I forgot what I really wanted. Who I really wanted. You…" I saw Jude's eyes glisten with tears as she processed what I just admitted to her. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and brought her closer to me and held her as she struggled to compose herself again.

"Awww," the crowd sighed. Jude blushed, and I turned away so they couldn't see how embarrassed I felt.

"So what does this mean?" Jude wondered. "Where do we go from here?"

I brought Jude's face towards mine. Our lips touched, and all the emotion I was holding

back finally surfaced.

Jude deepened the kiss immediately, and I gently pushed my tongue up against her lips. She opened for me, and our tongues did a slow tango as my heart started beating faster and faster.

I could hear cheering and screaming as we stood there, kissing one another with all the passion we felt.

I broke it off, and immediately saw Jude's eyes cloud over with worry. "Tommy, don't."

"It's not that, I just…are you sure you want to do this?" I said, as Jude's face broke into a wide grin. She leapt up and pulled me back down to her. I lost all rational thought as I felt her kiss me eagerly and without restraint.

The crowd cheered again. It quickly died down, as someone walked toward us and I heard the sound of a throat clearing.

Jude and I broke apart, as we quickly registered who it was.

"Tom, Jude, what the HELL is going on here?" the person demanded, looking extremely upset. "ANSWER ME! NOW!"

Chapter 27: Facing the Music

I stared at Jude, whose face had drained of color. "Shay, I-"

Shay glared at me, his face seething with anger. "Well, if it isn't Uncle Tommy."

"You mean, just Tommy," I said, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. "We aren't related anymore."

"Oh right," Shay replied nastily. "That's because you married my aunt, then left before you really got to know how much she loved you. Do you know how much you hurt her when you left? Of course not. You were too busy performing in Boyz Attack to see the people whose hearts you left in shreds."

"You're one to talk," I countered angrily. "You hooked up with Jude, then hooked up with her archenemy on tour, and then you didn't even bother to tell her face to face? She found out through Eden, of all people. Who's the heartbreaker now?"

Shay stood his ground, his face full of anger. It was at that moment that I knew I'd snapped. In 7th grade, I was expelled for fighting. I'd tried to avoid fighting, but this was at a deeper level. The consequences of physical wounds would eventually go away, but the results of verbal wounds would take much longer. I knew Shay wouldn't forgive me for a while now, and for Jude's sake, I tried to walk away.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and knew it wasn't Jude's. I tried to keep walking away, then Shay turned me around roughly. But before he could land the first punch, Jude stepped between us.

"Shay…" With one word, Jude melted Shay's defenses. Shay looked at her, eyes full of desire. They quickly turned hard and cold as they settled on me.

"This isn't over," Shay warned, as Darius stepped toward us.

"Tom, what's going on here?" Darius looked at the three of us. I began to say something, anything, but Shay cut me off.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Shay said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and smirking.

"Good, well, Shay, we need you up on stage ASAP," Darius put his arm around his nephew, and started to walk away.

"Oh, Uncle D? There's something you should know," Shay said, his eyes glinting cruelly.

"What?" Darius was impatient now.

"Tommy and Jude, they just made out for like 10 minutes before you came over," Shay looked pleased with himself as he was momentarily forgotten.

I ran my hand through my hair, as Jude stood speechless.

"I can explain," I said, trying to protect Jude from what I knew would be coming.

"Really? Because I'd like to hear it," Darius thundered. "I go mingle for 5 seconds, and when I turn around, I find out that my top producer was making out with his artist."

"D, I'm not the only one," I argued weakly. Georgia watched, her face ashen. She was still in shock at what had happened.

"Darius, don't blame Tommy. Blame me. " Jude said as she put her hand in mine. "Tommy always said we couldn't date, but I kept pushing him to go out with me. He never wanted this to happen, and told me we should keep our relationship professional, even though he loves me and I love him. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

"Does it look like I care?" Darius roared. The crowd remained silent, watching closely. He turned to Tommy and started bellowing. "I made you what you are today. One of the best producers in the industry. And you," he pointed at Jude, "you shouldn't have even made it this far. There were a lot of better artists out there. With a lot of luck and a little talent, you got to meet some people who were able to bring you this far. And you throw it all away like this?" Darius was pacing now. He was so angry, I could almost picture steam coming out of his ears.

"Darius, go ahead, take it out on me, I won't care. But leave Jude out of this. She doesn't deserve to be insulted. It's all my fault. I was the one who kissed her." I tried to shield Jude from the worst possible consequences that could come of this.

"T, that's it. I don't care who kissed who. The fact is, you kissed each other. I can't allow that in my studio. You're both fired." Darius stated emphatically.

"What? Darius, you're making a mistake! If you fire Jude, you'll lose a huge amount of profit. Jude's your number one female artist. You can't afford to replace her with some knockoff. Take Eden for example. She's not half the artist Jude is, and you know it." I responded just as strongly as Darius did moments before.

Jude joined in. "Darius, if you fire Tommy, do you think you'll get a lot of artists dying to work with you? Everyone wants to work with Tommy. He's the best producer in Canada, if not the world! You can't get rid of him like that!"

"I can, and I will. You've given me no choice. You can pick up your things tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Darius strode off, as Shay hurried to follow him. He glanced back and smirked at me as if to say, "Look at little Tommy Q now!" I wanted to wring his scrawny little neck.

"Jude, I'm sorry. This never should have happened. I don't care what's going to happen to me, but Darius can't do this to you. I'm gonna try to get your job back if it's the last thing I do." I vowed. But Jude waved me off.

"Tommy, forget it. I can't let Darius fire you because of something I did. And I won't work with anyone else. My music just wouldn't be the same, and you know it." Jude insisted.

"So we're in this together, even if we're out?" I clarified with her.

"It's both of us, or it's neither." Jude agreed, pulling me into another embrace. I love it when she does that.

Kwest came over, looking at me sympathetically.

"Man, I can't believe he did that," Kwest said, shaking his head in shock. "I'm sorry, man."

"Don't be," I said grimly, trying to ignore the feeling of dread that was now spreading slowly over me. "It's not your fault that Darius has a heart of ice."

"I'm gonna quit too. I won't work without the best producer," Kwest decided.

"Dude, don't. What if we won't find anyplace that'll hire the three of us?" I tried to cram my situation into the back of my mind.

"Make that four. Where Kwest goes, I go. Except the bathroom. That'd be too disgusting." Sadie said, coming over.

The rest of the night went off as planned, and after it was over, I headed straight home without talking to anyone. I tried to go straight to sleep, but kept having nightmares about Darius turning into a huge fire-breathing dragon that toasted his enemies to a crisp. I finally gave up my hope of going to sleep around 4:30 in the morning, and instead focused my attention on what I could possibly do to reverse the damage.

Later that morning, I flipped on the TV as I ate breakfast. The headlines for the morning news included footage and information about the incident at Jude's prom. I shut off the TV in disgust, wondering how people had the nerve to gossip about other people's lives. I strode over to my front door, and picked up the newspaper. Unfolding it, I saw the headlines on the front page: Little Tommy Q Kisses Artist at Her Prom, G Major Producer, Tom Quincy, Getting It On With Instant Star Jude Harrison, Tom Quincy: Former G Major Producer, Producer and Former Boyz Attack Member Tommy Q Dropped From G Major…the list went on and on.

I tossed the newspaper into the garbage can, and went to my room to change for the meeting.

My POV: You can do this. Just go in there, and when everyone asks you what happened, just tell them the truth, that "I love Jude, and nothing and no one will ever come between us." People love it when two people hook up. Especially when they're always in the spotlight.

I trudged back down to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a beer. I opened it, and downed the contents. Now I was finally ready to face whatever was thrown at me.

AN: AUGGGGHHHH! Here come the flames!


	28. Chapter 28

AN: OMG! I can't believe I'm almost at 100 reviews! You guys are the best reviewers in the whole fanfic universe! If anyone objects to that, I'll challenge them to review as consistently as you do. I'd thought most of you would have given up reading this a long time ago. Thank you so, so much!

Special ANs:

hurray4harrison, just wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Chloe, I completely understand. I'd hate me too ;o)!

timleesa, aww...that's so nice of you to say that you love this. Thank you :o)!

Tanya, that's a great idea. I don't know if I'll be able to use it just yet, but maybe…Thanks for the suggestion.

Rachel, I promise you'll find out soon. There's a reason why they got fired, and you'll find out why in the chapter after this one.

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: (I always forget this part) Of course I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But I wish I did. Then we wouldn't have to wait awhile to see Tommy and Jude hook up (if they even do in Season 3. But I'm thinking they won't for a while…even though I hope I'm wrong.)

Chapter 28: Good-byes Are Always The Hardest

I hopped in my Viper, and sped off to G Major. I would've picked Jude up, but that would've only reminded us of our last time driving to the studio together. Plus there wasn't enough space for my stuff and Jude's, since I didn't have a back seat , and my trunk wasn't that big.

I pulled into the G Major driveway, breezing by all the other cars that had the regular spots. I began to turn into my usual spot, but braked when I saw someone else was already parked there. Who could it be?

I soon found out as I walked in. People walked around, shooting glances at me as if to say, "Tough luck, Tommy." I strode over to my office, pulled out my keys, and opened the door, only to find that someone was inside.

"Tom, nice to see you," smirked Jamie.

"What are you doing here?" I said, thinking that Jamie had no chance of lasting here after Darius took over.

"Unlike you, Darius had the sense to realize my talent as a manager. I've been recruiting new artists for him, since I know the music scene a lot better than you think I do," Jamie boasted.

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes.

"You know Mason, right?" Jamie continued.

"Yeah, that country and western guy," I said. I hated country music.

"I found him. Yup, that was me," Jamie said proudly.

"OK, so you got lucky once. Big deal," I waved it off.

"No, I got Nicole next. You know, Chaz' sister," Jamie went on. "And a few others too. My most recent find was Patsy." He looked at me, thinking that I knew everyone.

"Fine, whatever," I said. That was the closest I'd ever come to hinting that I'd no longer be working there. Then I had an idea about how to distract Jamie so that I could get my stuff out without him knowing. "Oh, that Patsy. Right!" I said, clapping my hand to my forehead in mock realization.

"What about Patsy?" Jamie narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

"Yeah, I think she wanted to talk to you about something," I lied.

I watched as Jamie gulped, then said bravely, "OK, well I'll go talk to her then." He rushed out without another word. Maybe my lie wasn't so far from the truth after all.

I hastily cleaned out my desk, as well as any other items I'd brought to my office from home.

I put it all in my Viper, then saw Mr. Harrison and Jude pull up. Jude looked as if she were crying, and I could hear Mr. H. yelling at her over the roar of his engine.

"I can't believe this!" Mr. H. roared. "I don't care how big or powerful Darius Mills is. He can't treat you like that. I'm gonna get you your job back if it's the last thing I do!"

I ducked inside, hoping that Jude hadn't told him what had happened. No such luck.

"TOM! GET BACK HERE NOW!" Mr. H. bellowed. He followed me into G Major. If Mr. H. was angry before, he was even more upset now. I glanced back, noticing that Jude was desperately trying to hold her father back.

If I had to fight for Jude, I would. I wouldn't care whose trust I'd had to earn. All that mattered was that I had Jude's love.

"Mr. H.," I nodded politely to Jude's dad. Mr. H. glared at me in response.

"This is all your fault!" He exploded. I cringed, knowing he was right. If I hadn't kissed Jude so publicly, she would still have her job.

"Dad, don't," Jude said, catching on to why I was there. But Mr. H. kept going.

"Jude might be 18, but she's still too young for you. How dare you go around and kiss her in front of all those people! You're a cradle-robbing pop-star wannabe!" Mr. H sputtered angrily.

"Mr. H, I love your daughter," I said honestly, hoping that would shock him into silence long enough. It didn't.

"Love? You don't know the meaning of it! A different girl every week! Don't think I don't read the tabloids. I won't let Jude get hurt. Especially not by you," Mr. H said, waving his finger in my face.

"I'd never hurt Jude. She means everything to me. And that's why I'm here. To get Jude her job back," I said as fast as I could without getting interrupted.

Mr. H started to respond, then stopped even though his mouth was open. He closed it, then opened it again.

"Jude, we'll get your job back. Don't worry. We'll get it without the help of your ex-producer," he said, stressing the word ex.

Mr. H took Jude and steered her toward Darius' office. Jude glanced back, shooting me an apologetic look. I shrugged, and smiled back at her as if to say, "It's OK." She smiled back before disappearing around the corner.

I followed them to D's office, and watched as they went inside.

I heard a lot of yelling, then Jude slipped out and came over to me.

I held her in my arms, not caring who was watching, and we stayed there together until Mr. H. and Darius burst out of his office.

"Jude knew the rules, and she still broke them. I can't allow that to happen, and there's nothing I or you can do about it," Darius said defensively. He wasn't smiling.

"Jude had a contract with you, and you're choosing to end it without a warning, some probationary period or something? Come on! Lots of musicians got involved with their producers. You can't do this!" Mr. H. yelled, his face red with anger.

"I have no choice. If you look at Jude's contract, you'll see it right there. You can't miss it." Darius repeated.

"Why don't you just fire Tom and keep Jude on? Tommy's the problem here, not Jude. He knew the rules, and he broke them also."

"Stuart, I can't keep both of them on. If I let them get away with it, other producers and artists will get the same idea. I can't have them distracted from their main focus, and that is to make music. Not to socialize, not to mess around, not to fall in love and have to deal with their complicated love lives. I'm not a baby-sitter, I'm a record exec. I can't afford to watch them, so I'm letting both of them go. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Darius looked annoyed, and retreated into his office, where Stuart followed him and was met with a door slammed shut in his face.

He turned around, still dragging Jude by the hand, and muttered to himself, "There's got to be a loophole somewhere. I'll find it if it's the last thing I do."

To his daughter, he said, "Jude, get your stuff, and let's get out of here. Jude ran around, collecting all her things, and soon re-emerged, worried that her dad might bite my head off while she was busy gathering her possessions.

"Jude, let me help you with that," I offered. Jude thanked me silently with her eyes, but her dad came in between us.

"You've helped enough, don't you think? Going around, pretending to love my daughter, when you're actually toying with her emotions?" Jude's dad still hadn't gotten over us being together.

I suppressed my rage, and held my tongue.

My POV: Pretending to love Jude? No one could. Either they did or they didn't. And ever since we met, there was no way in the world I couldn't love Jude. Even if Mr. H. paid me a zillion dollars not to love Jude, I wouldn't be able to help myself.

Jude saw me quietly controlling my anger, and pulled her dad away. "Dad, come on, let's get out of here." She started walking toward the door, then said, "I forgot my journal. I'll be out in a minute. I won't be much longer, I promise." Her dad glanced at me suspiciously before turning away and walking outside. It was his way of saying, Jude better not be talking to you.

Jude walked back inside, and glanced at me to follow her. I waited a few moments before she'd disappeared around the corner, so that Mr. H. wouldn't be able to see us. Then I walked around the corner, where she'd sat down.

"Tommy, what am I going to do? I won't be able to see you anymore," Jude said, beginning to sniffle. My heart broke at her words.

"I'll find a way. I'll email you, since your dad'll probably be screening your calls from now on."

"OK," Jude nodded, as I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly, as if that was the last kiss we'd ever be able to have for a long time.

After a while, we pulled away, both of us not wanting it to end. "I love you, Jude. Don't you ever forget it."

"I love you, Tommy," Jude said, beginning to cry again. "Don't forget me."

I started tearing up myself, just looking at the woman of my dreams breaking down in front of me. "How could I? You're the only one for me," I said, my voice cracking with emotion. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head.

She slumped against me for a minute, then pulled away unwillingly. "I should go."

"Yeah, me too." I said, getting up. I held out my hand to her to help her up. She took it, and stood up. She let go, and started to walk away, then ran back into my arms and kissed me breathlessly.

"Bye," she whispered against my lips, tears flowing freely down her face.

"I love you, Jude. Always and forever," I murmured back, fighting the urge to cry. I had to be strong for the both of us. "Go on, your dad's waiting."

"OK," Jude sobbed, breaking away. She turned her back to me, walked away and left. She never looked back once, and I watched through blurry eyes as I saw her leave G Major for the last time.

AN: I know you all hate me right now, and I don't blame you. I was crying when I wrote this chapter…it's so sad :o(! But it's not the end. I don't know how I'll do it, but Tommy and Jude will see each other soon enough. If you have any ideas, let me know.


	29. Chapter 29

AN: OMG! I can't believe you guys! You're awesome! Thank you so, so much! I promise I'll make Tommy and Jude's situation better than it is right now. But first, I have to figure out how to do that.

Special ANs:

camsma, thank you for always encouraging me! I hope you like my newest chapter just as much.

timleesa, I think that can be arranged. What I have in store for them is drama enough without them having relationship issues.

Rachel, I'm getting there. But first I want to put up a chapter that I think will fit in well. So it's this chapter, then another chapter, and then Jommy all over again! And yes, I know you love it, because you're one of my most consistent reviewers. Thanks for always reviewing!

daisychain101, I'm glad you like my writing. I hope you keep on reading my stuff. And if it gets boring, tell me. I can take it.

Shannon, I'm on it. In fact, if I get enough reviews, I might just post up another chapter (which I've already written). But I know you'll review (you always do). Keep on rockin', girl!

Tanya, it never ceases to amaze me that a writer who's even better than I am is complimenting me on my writing. You have no idea how much your compliments mean to me (or maybe you do). So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all your kind words.

Chloe, I just read the last chapter over again, and even I'm still teary eyed. And thanks for your review. It means so much to me that you love it!

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: (I always forget this part) Of course I don't own Instant Star or any of the characters. But I wish I did. Then we wouldn't have to wait so long to see Tommy and Jude hook up (if they even do in Season 3. But first, Tommy needs to get rid of Karma so that he can be with Jude.)

Chapter 29: It's Not Over 'Til it's Over

I pretended like I was going to clean out my old office, and passed by Darius' office. Darius wasn't there, but someone else was.

I kept an eye on the hallway, in case I saw anyone coming in my direction. I listened as I heard Liam, Darius' right hand man, on the phone.

"Yes, I know, love. This is working out better than expected. With Tommy and Jude out of the way, you'll be free to take over as the new Instant Star. Just go over your moves again, not that you need to. And remember to flash that beautiful smile of yours. You know how it makes me feel…" Liam's voice trailed off, as he listened to the other person. "All right, I'll see you later, Eden. Love you."

My POV: Liam and Eden? That was too perfect. Now I had some leverage to get back into G Major. Eden had everyone fooled into thinking she and Shay were on the way to hooking back up, but Eden was secretly involved with Liam. But how do I tell Darius without any proof?

I went over to the studios, knowing Kwest would be there. He was alone, listening to some tracks and tweaking them.

"Kwest, man, I need a favor," I said, making sure no one could see us or hear us.

"Sure, what is it?" Kwest asked.

"I need you to keep an eye on Eden and Liam for me. I need to know what they're planning.next." I said.

"What do you mean? What are they planning?" Kwest looked confused, so I filled him in on what I'd heard.

"OK, man, I'm all over it," Kwest promised me.

"Oh, one more thing," I said on my way out.

"What's that?" Kwest wondered.

"I'll let you know in a few weeks. Once I have everything finalized," I said mysteriously. I loved keeping Kwest in the dark. It drove him crazy. He was perfect for Sadie that way. Come to think of it, I'll think I'll talk to Sadie, Georgia and E.J. about it too.

I whistled on my way out the door. I had a lot of ground to cover if I was going to make this work.

I went around and sold everything I had, except my Viper and my current residence, then I went to the bank and took out a loan.

Then I drove over to the pier, one of my all-time favorite places. It was the place I took Jude to write her first song.

When I got there, I saw Jude's car. I looked around, and saw Jude sitting alone. I guess Mr. H. had to go back to work or something, and Jude came over here to think. She loved this place almost as much as I did. And I loved it because it was one of her favorite places to write.

Jude looked up as I pulled in, and her face lit up. She got up and ran over to me, and I'd barely gotten out of the car before she threw her arms around me and launched herself at me.

"Tommy!" she squealed in excitement.

"Hey, Jude," I replied, smiling as she pretended not to notice. She hated that song, because her dad was a huge Beatles fan, and he never got tired of singing it to her. But although she got tired of listening to her dad singing it, she pretended that it didn't bother her.

"What do you have there?" I said, noticing that Jude was carrying her journal and a pen.

"Oh, just some lyrics I wrote. It's not done yet, but do you wanna see?" Jude thrust her journal at me before I had the chance to respond.

She glanced over my shoulder as I read what she'd written. Normally I hate it when people look over my shoulder, but I don't seem to mind it at all when it's Jude.

You treat me like I'm not even there

You tell me no, and it's not fair

I want to take the wheel in your car

And show you just how wrong you are

I'm not as young as you think I am

You say I'm innocent as a lamb

But I've seen more than you'll ever know

Just give me a chance and let me show

I don't need you to boss me around

When you say look up, I will look down

When you say go left, I will go right

And turn your bright day into the darkest night

You've had your time

And now it's mine

You say I'm not ready

But I am already

So I won't wait

It's time to celebrate

'Cuz I found it in me

To be free

Of you

I handed Jude's journal back to her, and she looked at me expectantly. "So, what'd you think?" Jude said, almost as excitedly as a child ripping her presents open on Christmas.Day.

"Jude, this is great!" I said honestly. I loved how she turned her deepest disappointments into the greatest lyrics. She poured so much of herself into them that if you really wanted to know Jude, all you had to do was read her song lyrics. That's what lyrics are supposed to do. Give you a glimpse into the life of the artist who wrote them.

"You really think so?" Jude asked.

I rolled my eyes. "If I didn't, would I be standing here telling you they are?"

Then Jude's expression grew somber. "It doesn't matter anyway," she said, tossing her journal on the ground.

"Of course it does," I said. "Don't lie to me, Jude. I know how much writing music means to you. You of all people can't just throw it away. It's your life. It's what you live for. Don't stand there and tell me it doesn't matter, because I know it does."

"What's the point? I don't have a studio, no one to produce me because you're out of a job, and it's my fault. I wanted you to love me, and I got you fired." Jude started crying, and I held her as I told her what I was planning. I'd sold my houses, my cars, and gotten the loan so I could build a studio. I was going to name it JQ Studios, J for Jude and Q for my last name.

Jude stopped crying immediately, her eyes widening. "No way!" she said, shock registering on her face.

"Way!" I said, as Jude looked happy again. I told her how I was going to hire Kwest and Sadie and Georgia and E.J., and have her be the co-owner, as well as producer, manager, artist, or whatever she wanted to do.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" Jude said, busily making plans for the future. "I want to help pay for the studio too!" she said. So we went off to the bank again, where Jude took out some of her savings to pay off the loan I'd taken out. I told Jude she didn't have to do it, but she insisted. I know never to argue with Jude once she's made up her mind about something.

We even had some more help, once I let Georgia, E.J., Kwest, and Sadie in on our plans. They used some of the money they had to put toward construction of the studio. Kwest insisted on having a break room, where people could eat, talk, play video games, or shoot some pool. I thought it was a good idea, since Jude loved to eat. Sadie and E.J. loved to talk. Georgia loved to laugh at them. And Kwest and I loved playing pool. I even had a pool table at my place.

Then Jude got all serious again. I asked her what was wrong.

"This still doesn't help," Jude said, looking sad.

"What about moving into my place?" I suggested.

"Yeah, like my dad's ever going to let me do that," Jude said sadly. She frowned, then slowly her frown turned into a big grin.

"I've got it!" Jude cried. "What if I moved to our ranch house? You know, the one where we wrote It Could Be You?"

"Yeah, and whenever we're not feeling particularly inspired, we can ride your horses," I suggested. I was hinting that it wasn't the horses I wanted to ride, but Jude didn't catch on.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Jude said, excited. She didn't catch on to her obvious innuendo.

"OK, sounds like a great idea," I said. "You know what? I think this'll actually work." I smiled as Jude jumped on me, then leaned down and gave me the biggest, best kiss she knew I needed.

Then we went out for lunch, where we talked some more about it, and then went back to the studio where Sadie was, so that Jude could get a ride back.

I went back to my place, and as soon as I stepped in, I heard my cell go off. Looking at the Caller ID, I smiled as I recognized the number. It was Jude.

"Tommy, can we go shopping tomorrow?" Jude said. She sounded like Sadie did when she found out there was a sale at her favorite store.

"OK, Jude. Just meet me at the park. If I go by to pick you up, I think your dad's gonna freak." I said, referring to the park by her place. Most people went to the pier, since it had one of the most beautiful views in town. That left the park pretty secluded, and it'd be a great meeting place.

"OK," Jude said. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Jude. Love you," I said. It was becoming easier and easier for me to admit how much I loved her. No one ever had such a profound effect on me before. I shook my head and smiled as I listened to Jude echo my sentiments. I hung up and shook my head. That girl was one in a million, and she was all mine.

AN: So, what'd you think? Let me know by reviewing!


	30. Chapter 30

AN: Thanks to tommysmy21, Rachel, and Tanya for reviewing. I know I haven't posted in a while, but I thought I'd get more than just 3 reviews. That makes me really bummed :o(! Anyway, here's the next chapter. I had another version saved, but I accidentally deleted it. So this is what I remember of it. I just know it used to be a lot better, and longer, but this is all I can remember of it. Let me know what you think, even if it's just to say "This sucks!"

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. Then Tommy'd be all mine!

Chapter 30: If Every Day Could Be Like This…

By the time I got back, Jude was up and toasting some Pop-Tarts.

"Is that all you ever eat?" I laughed as the Pop-Tarts popped up, and Jude responded by taking them out and biting into one.

"Mmm…it's crazy good," Jude quipped, quoting the Pop-Tarts slogan.

I bent down to kiss her, and she tasted like strawberry. "You're right," I said, wiping away the additional crumbs.

When she'd finished eating them, I took her out to a nice little Italian restaurant for lunch. We spent the afternoon going downtown and visiting flea markets, where Jude said she'd find the best stuff to fill up my place.

"Kat would kill for this outfit," Jude said, holding up an . I had to admit, I liked the cream-colored silk skirt that was embroidered in black and beaded with big-and-little jet paillettes. The border was designed with squiggly flowers sprouting up all around the hemline, and it had a yoke waist with a zipper in the back.

I looked around for some posters or art that had musical influences, such as a picture of a guitar, or better yet, old Beatles memorabilia. Surprisingly, it did.

When Jude and I went to pay, the lady looked at Jude closely. "Hello, dear. Aren't you lucky to have your husband pay for you?" I glanced at Jude, wondering what she'd say.

"I am," Jude said. She looked not at all uncomfortable at the lady's mistake. Jude chatted with the woman as she added up all the items Jude had with her.

"I hope you don't mind, dear, but what's your name?" the lady asked, when she was looking over the Beatles items.

Jude blushed, then said, "I'm Jude. My dad was a huge Beatles fan."

"So am I," the lady responded. She told us that she'd gone to more than a few Beatles concerts in her day, and she'd gotten married, had children who grew up and moved away, and she'd had to sell her prized possessions after her husband passed away.

Jude and I stood there, stunned at how brave and courageous this woman was, even in spite of losing her husband.

"Now, don't you worry about me, I'll be alright. I'd gladly give away all of this if I could get one more day with my husband. I'm just glad he knew how much I loved him before he went. And I hope you do two do the same." The woman smiled at the both of us, her eyes twinkling.

"Thanks for everything, ma'am," I said, not knowing what to call her.

"Oh, don't call me that, that's what I used to call my grandmother," she laughed. It sounded like little bells ringing. "My name's Anne."

"Thanks again, Anne, for everything," we said to her again before we left.

We went back to my place to drop off everything, then changed to go out for dinner. Jude insisted on a French restaurant, knowing that they'd serve my favorite dish, tortiere. It was her way of thanking me for everything that had happened that day.

We talked, laughed, and fed each other, oblivious to everyone around us. We were in love, and nothing would ever change that.

After we finished dinner, we went back to my place, and curled up together to watch a movie. I popped in Jude's favorite, and the two of us snuggled close together. We must've gotten really comfortable, because the next thing I knew, I was dreaming about my life with Jude.

AN: So, what'd you think? Please let me know, OK? If it sounds good, tell me. If it sucks, tell me. And if I sound blocked, tell me. Just tell me something…anything…OK?


	31. Chapter 31

AN: YAY! I'm really happy now, cuz people actually reviewed! Lol! Thanks to camsma, Tanya, Lizzy, Ally, judetomfan101, and Shannon for reviewing. Anyway, here's the next chapter. And as always, let me know what you think, even if it's just to say "This sucks!"

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. Then Tommy'd be all mine!

Chapter 31 – A Done Deal

I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. I glanced over at Jude, who had her head on my shoulder and her arms wrapped around my neck. I reached over, trying not to move to suddenly, so that she wouldn't wake up. She looked so peaceful, so serene, like nothing in the world could bother her.

"Hello?" I said softly after picking up the receiver.

"Tom, where you been, man?" Kwest said, his voice full of relief. "I tried calling you forever last night."

"I was out with Jude," I said, as Jude shifted in her sleep. She clung tighter to me and then lay still. I smiled, loving how she only felt safe in my arms.

"Oh, that explains it," Kwest teased. "So, got any plans today?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna check out some places, see if I can pick out a good place," I said. I already had a few locations in mind, and I'd start out by looking at them first.

"K, you know I'm here if you need anything," Kwest said..

"Thanks, man," I said, hanging up.

I slipped out of Jude's embrace, knowing I'd have to wake her before I left. I made her favorite breakfast, poured some milk into a glass, then got a rose out of the vase on the table. I set it down before her, and gently shook her awake.

"Jude, it's time to get up," I said. Jude stirred, and then moaned, "C'mon, just 5 more minutes."

"Jude," I repeated, then kissed her awake. Jude smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around me. Then her eyes opened slowly, and she pushed me away. "POP-TARTS!" She ignored me as she dove for them, busily cramming them down her throat as fast as she could without choking.

"Thanks, I'm glad to see I come in second to a toaster pastry," I remarked.

Jude finished eating in record time, and wiped off her milk mustache to kiss me into silence. "Never, Tommy, I was just hungry. Now I have all day for you," she said again, leaning into another kiss.

"Jude, I'm gonna be checking out some places for the new studio today. You can stay here, since you won't have any fun going around town all day." I said, knowing she'd be bored out of her mind.

"No, I wanna come," Jude insisted.

"What about your dad?" I said.

"Easy, I'll just tell him I'm trying to get my old job back." Jude smiled deviously.

"Yeah? And what will you do when he wants to go and chew out Darius for firing you in the first place?" I countered.

"Good point," Jude mumbled under her breath. She looked down.

"Here," I said, "Take this," I reached into my pocket, pulled out my wallet, and pressed it into her hand. "Go shopping, just don't break the bank, OK? I'll need every cent for the studio, then once we make it big, you can buy anything you want."

"I already have everything I want," Jude said, gazing up at me with her big blue eyes. "So, can I come or not?" I fought the urge to break my eye contact with her, and crumpled.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you about being bored out of your mind," I reminded her as she hugged me and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Now go get dressed, we have a lot of ground to cover."

Jude jumped up, raced away, and came back minutes later in her usual T-shirt and ripped jeans outfit.

"Hon, you're gonna need to wear something a little more formal than that," I laughed, as Jude looked defiant. She disappeared again and came back with a formal business suit and tea-length skirt.

"No, that doesn't fit you either," I said, taking her hand and going over to her closet.

I rummaged through her wardrobe until I found the perfect one. "How about this?" I suggested, holding up a nice blouse and mini-skirt. It was casual, yet formal. The perfect mix.

"OK," Jude looked at it doubtfully, then a smile broke out on her face. "Hey, I just had a great idea!"

"What's that?" I said hesitantly, knowing we didn't have much time before we needed to leave.

"You try it on," Jude laughed, as I looked on in horror.

"No way. Besides, we need to go pretty soon. We don't have time to waste." I looked at my watch, noting the time.

"Fine," Jude pouted. She put it on, then said, "You need to get changed too."

"Be right back," I said, disappearing into the bathroom with my clothes. Minutes later, I came out looking like my classy self.

"Ready to go?" I said, slipping my hand into hers.

"Been waiting forever," Jude teased. We left, and drove to all of the places. Most of them were run-down studios that needed a lot of work before they could be open to the public. Others were just not there for me, and I couldn't see them as places resembling the music scene. The last stop was a building that seemed to be just right. It had the look (once it was touched up), it had a piano in the middle of the place, and tables and chairs that were covered with cloth to prevent the dust from settling on them. But it had been unused for so long that we'd need to get a professional cleaning team in there ASAP. It was absolutely perfect.

"We'll take it," I said to the agent. Then I remembered the area we were in. "Is this…Is this the Chrome Cat?"

"Yes, it used to be called that. You really know music, don't you? All the greats used to perform here. It was even said that…" The agent trailed off as I finished it off for him. "…the King performed here."

I smiled as my mind began planning it all out. Of course, Elvis' music was the last thing I could picture being performed here. I'd already planned on having the hottest artists, the coolest new acts, anything that would keep this studio alive and packed with people every day of the week, every week of the year.

"OK, let me just draw up the papers, and once you sign them, this place is all yours," the agent said. "If there's any problems, Mr. Quincy,"

"You'll let me know," I said, knowing there was more than enough reserve for the deal.

"I'll be in touch," the agent said as he left.

"Congratulations!" Jude squealed as she flew into my arms. "You did it!"

"We did it," I corrected her. I picked her up and swung her around. "I could never have done this without you."

"Let's celebrate," Jude suggested.

"Where would you like to go?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"To Kwest's," Jude surprised me.

"Does he know about this?" I hoped he didn't mind having us over.

"Of course. I asked Sadie to ask him. She's coming too. So are Georgia and E.J."

"Just checking. I wouldn't want Kwest to throw us out or anything." I joked. Kwest was my best friend, he'd never do anything like that. He was too nice.

"Course he wouldn't. Now come on, they're expecting us," Jude grabbed my hand, and we took off for Kwest's.

AN: So, what'd you think? Please let me know, OK? If it sounds good, tell me. If it sucks, tell me. And if I sound blocked, tell me. Just tell me something…anything…OK?


	32. Chapter 32

AN: I know, I haven't been able to update much in a while, 'cuz school sucks and I really don't need it. And maybe that explains why I didn't get as many reviews as I like. But that's OK, I know who really likes this story. Or is bored enough to want to review it. So thanks to everyone who reviewed (you know who you are). Anyway, here's the next chapter. And as always, let me know what you think, even if it's just to say "This sucks!"

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. Then Tommy'd be all mine!

Chapter 32 – Surprise!

Jude and I drove over to Kwest's, where Sadie, Georgia, and E.J. were already waiting for us. As soon as we walked in the door, Sadie and E.J. started congratulating us on our new venture.

"Ladies, please, stop squealing before I permanently lose my hearing," I joked as Georgia laughed. Kwest smirked by the corner of the front hall before he came over and pulled me into a quick hug. "Congrats, man," he said, releasing me just as soon as we made contact.

"Aww," the four women cooed teasingly, then laughed as we tried to look embarrassed.

"C'mon, the food's over here," Kwest motioned with his hand. He led us into the dining room, where the table had been set and the entrees were already out and still steaming.

"Kwest, did you make any Pop-Tarts?" Jude said, just as her stomach rumbled.

"Don't be such a pig," Sadie rolled her eyes. "Pop-Tarts aren't food."

Kwest just laughed before leaning over and whispering to Jude, "I made some for dessert. That OK?"

Jude nodded and decided to try some of the other dishes.

While we ate, Kwest, Georgia, and E.J. asked about the place, and I answered their questions about it as best as I could. Jude swirled around her mashed potatoes, and tried to start a food fight to pass the time. Sadie shrieked about having gooey vegetables in her hair, and I bit back a laugh as I saw Jude roaring with laughter.

Eventually dessert rolled around, and Jude dove into her Pop-Tarts as Sadie watched in horror. She had a small scoop of fat-free yogurt, and that was it. I had gelato, which Kwest had gotten for me, and Kwest had butter pecan ice cream. Georgia and E.J. both passed on dessert, and then everyone left for home.

I pulled up to the house that was about 2 houses over from Jude's, hoping to say goodnight to her there. But Mr. H was there, waiting impatiently with his arms crossed and a glare in his eyes.

"Say goodbye Jude," Mr. H said sternly.

"Dad, you can't tell me who I can and can't see," Jude argued. I gaped as I saw the love of my life standing up for us.

"Jude, he's too old for you. I can't let you see him, he'll just break your heart and won't even think twice about it a minute later," Mr. H raised his voice.

"Dad, I don't care, I want to see Tommy, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," Jude was on the verge of tears now.

"Jude, maybe I should go," I mumbled, before Mr. H shot his daughter a look of pure triumph. Jude put her hand on my arm to keep me from going.

"If anyone goes, it should be you, Dad," Jude spat out harshly.

"Excuse me? Sorry if I just want to protect my daughter from some pedophile who preys on his artists," Mr. H. was about to blow his top.

"Dad, I'm 18. That means I'm a legal adult now. So you can't tell me what I can and can't do." Jude stood her ground.

"Yes I can, and I'll keep doing it since you live under MY roof," Mr. H. insisted.

"Jude," I broke in, hating to be the cause of a fight between them. "I should go. Maybe I'll see you around." My voice broke as I choked back the emotion I was feeling.

"No, Tommy," Jude cried out, as I blindly tore myself away from her and got in my car. I put the car in gear and took off. In my rearview mirror, I saw Mr. H go back in the house, as Jude sat on the curb and sobbed. I would do anything to go back and undo what I did, but I couldn't if I wanted Mr. H's approval.

I went back home, and tried to get some sleep. But every time I closed my eyes, all I could see were visions of Jude looking sadly in the direction I'd taken off. I got back up and paced, not knowing what to do next, or how this situation with Jude and me would get any better.

I sat down and looked at my Instant Star album, the one I kept pictures of me and Jude in. I had a record of the time she won the competition, the time she got her first single released, and many other pictures of times in between. I must've drifted off just looking at those pictures, because the next thing I knew, someone was pounding on my front door.

I rubbed my eyes groggily and walked over there. When I opened it, I saw someone I never expected to see.

"Where is she?" Mr. H demanded. He didn't even wait for me to invite him in, he just kinda stepped into my place, looking all over for Jude.

"Jude?" I asked, still unconscious.

"Don't play dumb with me, I want to know where she is right now. You know what, don't move, I'll go find her myself," Mr. H. looked around and walked all over the place.

"Where are you hiding her?" Mr. H said.

"Mr. H, Jude's not here," I said weakly, then winced as he roared in anger.

"Don't lie to me, I know she's here, because she's not home. And they've banned her from the studio, so she has to be here somewhere." With that, Mr. H took off again. He went upstairs and into every room, and went downstairs, looking over every inch of space in my house.

"You've fooled me this time, but I'll be watching you," Mr. H said, glaring at me. "If Jude even takes one step toward this house, I'll have you arrested and put away for life. You got that?"

"Yes sir," I said meekly. I knew how to deal with parents, and Mr. H. wouldn't calm down if I said something like, "For the last time, I don't know where she is, cuz she definitely isn't here."

"Good," Mr. H. spat out angrily, then left. I heard his tires squeak on my driveway. 10 minutes later, there was another knock on the door.

"Mr. H, I told you, Jude's not here," I said as I opened the door. Jude stood in front of me, shivering and pale.

"Jude, what are you doing here?" I gaped in shock. Jude looked at me with big, frightened eyes.

"Can I come in?" Jude said, shivering again.

"Of course," I said, thinking I'd send her off in a few minutes. She shocked me by pulling out 2 suitcases from behind the bushes and plopped them in the front foyer.

AN: So, what'd you think? Please let me know, OK? If it sounds good, tell me. If it sucks, tell me. And if I sound blocked, tell me. Just tell me something…anything…OK?


	33. Chapter 33

AN: As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed (you know who you are). And thanks to everyone who's read or is reading this. You all rock! Just a quick note: Rating has gone up to M. So if you're underage, please don't read this. Sexual content ahead. And if you aren't underage, here's the next chapter. As always, let me know what you think, OK? Good.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. Then Tommy'd be all mine!

Chapter 33 – Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

I turned around, my emotions battling for control within me. The way Jude looked, I knew I had to be gentle. The thing was, I wasn't sure what Mr. H. would do if he knew Jude was at my place. I decided to approach the situation carefully.

"Please, sit down, make yourself at home," I said. For now, anyway. Jude let out a sigh of relief, and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing as me, that I might have kicked her out.

"Thanks," Jude said, and plopped down in my favorite chair. Normally, I'd object, but it was Jude after all, so I remained silent.

My POV: She does have great taste.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" I asked, just as Jude blurted out, "Do you have any frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts?"

"Coming right up," I laughed. I knew how much she loved them. One day, I decided to try them, and they weren't half bad. But I wasn't addicted to them like Jude was. Now strawberry Twizzlers, on the other hand…those I could eat 24/7. I'd gotten hooked on them after I got caught smoking on tour with Boyz Attack by Georgia. She made me swear never to smoke again, and gave me strawberry Twizzlers to help me kick the habit. Since then, I eat Twizzlers like Jude eats Pop-Tarts.

I disappeared into the kitchen, where I toasted a few Pop-Tarts. While they were warming up, I poured a glass of milk for Jude, and brought it out to her.

By the time the Pop-Tarts were done, I brought out them out on a plate.

"More," Jude demanded, looking really cute with a milk moustache. She held up her empty glass,

"Yes, Princess," I said, teasing her. "At your service. Will you be needing anything else?" I made a mock bow as Jude laughed.

"Yes, MILK!" Jude bellowed, then burst out laughing. I joined in, and then ran back into the kitchen when she suddenly stopped. She can be so funny sometimes. That's just one of the things I love about her.

"It's about time," Jude said, already stuffing her face with Pop-Tarts. She had crumbs all over her mouth, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to wipe them off with my lips.

Jude slurped down the rest of the milk, and I'd brought out a full pitcher just in case.

"Thanks," Jude said, once she'd finished eating. "That was delicious."

"I know, I can tell you liked it," I smiled. Then my expression grew serious.

"You OK?" I said, and I wasn't referring to Jude's hunger.

"Yeah," Jude said, avoiding my eyes.

"Jude," I said. "Are you?"

"No," Jude said, but she was stronger than she looked. "Tommy, don't worry. My dad will turn around."

"I don't know, Jude. He sounded pretty serious to me," I admitted.

"Of course he did. He's a dad," Jude pointed out the obvious. "But my mom, she knows exactly how I feel. She'll get him to change his mind about us. You'll see."

"Jude, do you know what happened before you came here tonight? After our little disagreement in your driveway?" I said, hesitating to tell her the truth. I didn't want to turn her against her dad anymore than she already was.

"No, what?" Jude looked curious.

"He said that if you came anywhere near this house, he'd have me arrested and put away for life," I looked down at the ground, knowing exactly what Jude's response would be.

"He what?" Jude shrieked and jumped up. "I can't believe he would say that! He knows I love you, and you love me, and that we want to be together. I mean, we still work together, right? We can't exactly avoid each other at the studio. I can't believe he would do something like that!" Jude started pacing back and forth, anger evident on every inch of her face.

"Jude, he just wants the best for you," I said, trying to picture myself as Jude's dad and worrying for his youngest daughter. I couldn't do it. I mean, the picturing myself as Jude's dad. As a father, yes, but as Jude's father? I'd probably get arrested for incest. Not the actual act, but the thoughts that come before the act.

"Spare me," Jude held up her hand. "I know what he wants. He wants me to never date, and never get married until he's dead. Or at least not until I turn 80. Whichever comes later. You know what? Screw everything. Screw my dad, screw what he said or what he didn't say. I want you, and you want me, so who can stop us?"

"Ju-" I was about to protest, but Jude had already wrapped her arms around me and kissed me senseless. Instinctively, my arms went around her and held her close. Our kiss deepened quickly, as our bodies melded together.

Jude broke off the kiss, and smiled seductively at me. "So, what are you going to do about us?" She smiled as I pulled her close and kissed her without another word.

As we kissed, she started moving backwards, away from the kitchen and toward the bedrooms. I pulled back, and Jude instantly frowned. "Jude, I don't think we should do this. Yes, I love you, but don't you think this is going a bit fast?"

"Do you have protection?" Jude asked. I nodded, and she smiled. "Then my answer's no." Her lips locked with mine, and she started tugging my shirt off as she led me to my room.

Once we got in, we briefly broke apart to remove the rest of our clothing. I slipped on a condom, and then Jude, who'd already got into bed, pulled me on top of her. We kissed long and passionately, and my mind lost control as my body took over.

Over and over again I thrust into her, and Jude moaned as I kissed her lips, her neck, her shoulders, any part of her I could get to. I saw desire in her eyes as she reveled in the feelings she was experiencing, and I knew she probably saw desire reflected in my own eyes.

I gave one final thrust deep inside Jude, and collapsed on top of her. Now it was her turn to comfort me. "You OK?" Jude said, patting my hair lovingly.

"I…I think I'm in heaven," I said tiredly. "You?"

"I got there about 10 minutes ago," Jude said, pulling me into her embrace. "I could stay like this forever."

"I don't think Georgia or your dad would like that," I reminded her.

"Let's not think about it then," Jude concluded.

"But…" I started to protest, and Jude silenced me with her lips. Dear Lord, I think I've created a monster.

Jude guided my hips toward her own, and I felt myself get hard again as she pulled me back into her. All we had was right now, this very moment, and all we had were each other. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. Except the woman I was literally entangled with. The only woman who could take my breath away with her voice, her smile, her tears, her glance. The one who could murmur a few words and make me forget where I was and what I was doing. The one who was my perfect match, physically, mentally, emotionally.

Jude was the one. The only one. For me.

AN: So, what'd you think? Please let me know, OK? I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it.


	34. Chapter 34

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been having a really bad headache for a couple days, and nothing I take for it is helping it go away. But once it goes away, I promise I'll have something up. Right now I'm still not feeling so well, and it'll be a good time to get some much-needed rest. Until then, JOMMY FOREVER!


	35. Chapter 35

AN: Thanks to everyone who's ever read or is reading this. And thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You all rock! Just a quick note: This chapter's rated M. I decided to do another Jommy chapter, since most people love Jommy moments. So if you're underage, please don't read this. For the rest of you, here's the next chapter. As always, let me know what you think, OK? Good. And even though I still have a migraine (I get migraines every once in a while, and it's so bad that I can't even turn a light on without moaning in pain), I decided to put this up (while I'm holding an ice pack to my head). So this took a while to type up, but I'm sure you'll like it.

Special ANs:

Camsma – No, you rock! And I love them together too!

Tanya – You're soooo nice. I didn't know if people would like how the chapter was written. Thanks for liking it. And thanks for being so thoughtful as to my splitting headache. Right now, I can't feel any pain in my head, so using an icepack really works (I tried it after my friend suggested it). Why didn't I think of it before? Lol.

Lizzy – I'm soooo glad you liked it! I loved your comment, and so I'll post…right after I finish reviewing people's reviews.

Rachel – Thanks for being so caring. You rock! And thanks for always leaving such positive feedback. Here you go.

judetomfan101 – OK, I'm on it. Posting…now!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. Then Tommy'd be all mine!

Chapter 35 – The Christening

I awoke to find Jude sleeping next to me, her limbs entwined with mine. I had my arms around her, and every part of our bodies were touching one another's so that I was still hard when I awoke. I tried to slip out of her grasp, but the second after I moved, Jude stirred and opened her eyes slowly.

"Hey Jude," I murmured. Jude smiled lazily, stretched as if to show herself off to me, and gave me a long, lingering kiss in response.

"Hey, little Tommy Q," Jude replied, smiling. We both knew she could get away with calling me that without me getting angry at her.

"Want some breakfast?" I offered, as my cell went off. I got up, rose from my bed, and checked the caller ID. It was Darius.

"D, what's up?" I said, trying to sound alert.

"You should've been down here a half-hour ago," Darius shouted. That's one way NOT to wake up, but it did work. "And where's Jude?"

"D, I'm on my way," I said. "I just need to pick Jude up first, then I'll go straight there." Then I hung up the phone, even though he was still yelling.

"Jude, come on…we gotta go down to the studio," I said, trying to shake her awake.

"Mmph," Jude mumbled into her pillow. I tugged on her sleeve, but that didn't work. So I tried my fool-proof method of waking Jude up, and it didn't include Pop-Tarts. I kissed her.

Jude instantly wrapped her arms around me and deepened our kiss. I broke away immediately, and she began to pout.

"Tommy," Jude whined. Obviously she didn't get enough the first time. I decided to humor her. I gave her the quickest long, lingering kiss I could possibly give her in under 10 seconds, and then pulled her to her feet.

"Can we go now?" I said, tossing her clothes to her. She started putting them on, as I put mine on, and we dressed in record time and flew out the door.

I drove Jude down to the studio in my Viper, blowing past every speed limit and yellow light I could. What usually took us 30 minutes to get down to the studio, I made in just under 10.

"'Bout time you showed up," Darius called as soon as we walked in. "Jude, you got anything written?"

Jude yawned, then said, "No, I can't function without Pop-Tarts."

Darius rolled his eyes, then said, "I left some in the kitchen for you. Once you're done, I want you to write a hit. You have an hour." He left Jude and I gaping in response. No one could write a hit song in under an hour. It was impossible.

"OK," Jude finally snapped back to reality, and pulled me toward the kitchen.

We talked lyrics while Jude stuffed her face, then I started playing around with different melodies to put her half-written lyrics to. Meanwhile, Jude had scribbled down the first half of the lyrics she'd written, and was busy trying to finish it up. We finished the whole thing in under 30 minutes, then did it in one take.

"Jude, you're amazing," I said in awe. Very few people could pull off what we'd managed to do in a short time, and I knew Darius would love what Jude had come up with.

"It's nothing, really. I was just…really inspired after last night," Jude said, coming closer to me. She smirked, then took my lips with her own.

"I love you," I whispered to her, as Jude's eyes shone with happiness.

"I love you too," Jude whispered back to me. I kissed her quickly, then took her hand and walked over to Darius' office.

I let go of Jude's hand once I opened his door.

"D, sorry to bother you, but here you go," I said, dropping the CD in front of him.

"What's this?" Darius wondered, looking like we couldn't have possibly finished it that fast.

"It's Jude's next hit," I said. Darius got up, put the CD in his player, and pressed play.

Jude's voice filled the room, rising and falling while emitting a full range of emotion in every syllable she sang. Darius sat transfixed, emotionless, while the song went on. As it ended, Darius got up, went over to the player, and took it out.

"So, what'd you think?" I asked, holding my breath. I saw Jude tense in anticipation.

"I think…you've got another hit," Darius finally smiled, as Jude and I let out the collective breath that we'd been holding. "Go on…take a night off…"

I glanced at Jude, grabbed her hand, and pulled out outside.

"We did it, Jude, we really did it," I said, pressing my forehead to hers.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Jude murmured back. She kissed me, and I forgot my surroundings as I felt her lips on mine.

We broke away as we heard someone coming toward us, and tried to look casual. Once the person had gone, I asked her, "Want to move into the studio? I had some extra rooms put on, in case we wanted to stay overnight."

"Yeah," Jude said, all excited. We went back to my place, where Jude packed her clothes into a suitcase, and I threw a few clothes into another. Then we drove over to the studio, and for the first time, I walked inside without any real estate agents or other people around. Just me and my Jude.

"Can we stay here tonight?" Jude asked, a glint in her eye.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," I said. "Want to christen this place?"

"Yeah, OK," Jude decided. "But we'll need a couple bottles."

"Why a couple?" I said, curious.

"You'll see," Jude said. We finished putting away our stuff, and then Jude started taking off her clothes, and it wasn't before long that I couldn't take it anymore and I took her, right there in our room. But not before she made me put on a condom. We made love several times, and I had just pulled out of her when I heard some people coming in.

"Jude, hurry!" I whispered. We got dressed as fast as we could, then came out individually, so as not to arouse suspicion. The rooms were far away from the rest of the studio, since they had their own private wing.

I went out first, and saw Kwest, Sadie, Georgia, and E.J. "Hi guys, how do you like JQ Studios?" (AN: this is just a temporary name. I couldn't come up with anything better. But if anyone has an idea of what to call it, let me know, OK?)

"It's nice. I like it," E.J. said, looking all around her. She had an eye for detail, and considered herself an expert. If she liked it, it had to be good. And of course it was good. It was better than good. It was the best. I wouldn't spend money on it if it wasn't.

"Nice place. A bit familiar, but nice," Georgia said, smiling at me. The layout was simple. There was a lounge, which was off to the main entrance, which led to the main room, which had separate recording studios placed strategically around them. The offices and private rooms each had their own wing, and were as far apart as possible to ensure privacy.

"Kwest? Sadie?" I asked them, awaiting their opinions.

"It's so cool!" Sadie squealed, as Kwest laughed. Sadie could get excited about practically anything. Then what Jude said next shocked everyone, including me.

"We've had rooms built for all of you, if you ever want to crash here. We've also made extra keys for all of you, so you can come and go as you wish. You're all in this with Tommy and me, and you've supported us since the beginning, and for that, I think I can speak for Tommy and myself when I say, 'let's get this party started!'" Jude yelled the last part as SME, Jamie, Kat, and some of their friends from school came barging in.

Speed and the SME guys took over the guitars and drums that were already set up, and they plugged in the amps and started jamming. People started dancing, Sadie was freaking out trying to find some food and drinks to set out for people in case they got hungry, and Kwest was either helping Sadie, or laughing at her as she panicked. E.J. started mingling, just like she always does, and Georgia, Jude, and I just sat back and watched.

"That's one way to christen this place," Georgia remarked, not knowing the secret glance I shared with Jude as to how we really christened it.

After a while, everyone took a break so that Jude and I could smash a bottle against the bar. Then, and only then, the place could officially be christened. Or so everyone thought.

Jude and I took center stage, smashed the bottle as everyone cheered, and the party went on. Jude glanced at me, giving me a silent signal, and we found our escape by going over to our private room, where we celebrated as only we could. Everyone was so wrapped up in the celebration that they didn't even notice us leaving. Everyone except Georgia, who'd seen us making our getaway while she was mingling.

"Guys?" Georgia called out. It was hard to hear her with the loud music, the cheering, and everyone dancing to the music or talking to one another.

"Yes, G?" I said. We froze, just like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Georgia tried to look stern with us, then cracked up and said, "Just make sure you're safe, OK?"

"Thanks Georgia," Jude said, slipping her hand into mine and smiling. "Tommy always does."

"I guess there's nothing left to say, then," Georgia said, as Jude tugged on my hand and pulled me toward our room. I was going to show her the night of her life. And where we left off was just the beginning…

AN: Soooo, what'd you think? Please review!


	36. Chapter 36

AN: Thanks to everyone who's ever read or is reading this. And thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You all rock! Just a quick note: This chapter's rated M. I decided to do another Jommy chapter, since most people love Jommy moments. So if you're underage, please don't read this. For the rest of you, here's the next chapter. As always, let me know what you think, OK? Good. And FYI, my headache's finally gone. So now I can celebrate my birthday (tomorrow) without any pain. And since tomorrow's my birthday (and I didn't want to spend all day writing), I decided to put this up here for everyone to read. I hope you like it.

Special AN's:

judetomfan101, I hope you like my latest chapter.

Tanya, thanks for your suggestion. I think I'll be using it (since I was thinking about using the exact one you mentioned). Great minds think alike!

Carlz02, your reviews are soooo funny! And encouraging, if I may add. Thanks for always reviewing! You're a great inspiration to everyone whose fanfics you review. And if I can speak for everyone here, you rock!

Jess, as always, I'm glad you thought the last chapter was great. Just wait'll you read this one!

Lizzy, I don't mind at all. And I thought I included the reason why they were there, but I guess it got accidentally deleted or something. Anyway, Darius wasn't there, he was off that day, and so Tommy and Jude were free to go in when Sadie and Kwest were there. I hope that clears things up, but if it doesn't, feel free to email me and ask! And I'm glad you love it. I'll get into the issues you brought up real soon (or maybe in a few chapters, depending on how fast or slow the story goes).

Rachel, now that I'm over my excruciating headache, I think I can safely say you're going to love this chapter. In fact, I think everyone will.

Monkeyluver42, I like your suggestion. But I don't know if the other characters will. Let's find out, shall we?

Chapter 36 – Getting It On, and On…and On

As soon as we'd barely got inside our room, things started heating up real fast. I closed the door by pinning Jude there and kissing her as if my life depended on it. Jude moaned in response, and pulled me even closer to her, her mouth melding with mine.

I struggled to take my shirt off, since I didn't want to break contact with Jude's sweet lips. Jude must've felt the same way, as she also tried to remove her clothing while we were still making out.

"Tommy?" Jude murmured against my mouth.

"Yeah?" I said, pressed up against her lips.

"We can't do this if we can't take our clothes off. So I'll count to 3 and then we'll strip, OK?…1…2…3!" Jude and I broke apart, started stripping as fast as we could, and when the last article of clothing was off, I'd slipped on another condom just before Jude and I attacked each other, the romance and passion between us stronger than ever, despite our short time apart.

My lips were rough on hers, demanding that she open for me. Jude did, and our tongues did a slow, lazy dance, as our hearts raced faster and faster, almost as one. I tackled her and pinned her to our bed, although Jude was smiling as if to say, "You'll never get the best of me."

Jude moaned as I trailed soft, sweet kisses from her mouth, down to her neck, and her breasts, then her stomach, and back up again. My arms wound around her, and held tightly as my hands rubbed every part of her I could touch. I must've been giving her the time of her life, because her arms were around my neck and back, and Jude was moaning in pleasure as she pulled me down to kiss me even more passionately.

We groped each other, as if discovering one another for the first time, and it wasn't long before I started getting hard. I broke away as I looked deeply into Jude's eyes, and Jude nodded, almost imperceptibly, as if to tell me she was ready for me.

I eased myself into her, as Jude closed her mouth to keep from crying out in ecstasy. Then it was slow and gentle, because I wanted this moment to last forever. Jude and I enjoyed one another, over and over again, until we could no longer breathe normally.

I collapsed on top of her, both of us slightly sweaty from the effort. Jude pulled me to her and kissed me on my forehead. I looked down at her and smiled, knowing that she felt exactly the same way I did.

I listened to her heartbeat until it slowed back to a normal rate, as my head was pressed against her breasts. Jude cradled my head gently, stroking it until I could take it no longer. Our mouths fused, we made love again, this time with more urgency.

"Tommy!" Jude called out, as I drove into her again and again.

"I love you, Jude. Always have, always will. Mind, body, and soul," I grunted with each thrust.

Jude looked up at me, her eyes full of love and desire, and seeing her so full of emotion, I silently vowed that I would never break her heart again. I wanted her to look at me the way she did, not just tonight, but every night, and every day that we shared. Whether it was making music, or having sex, or anything we did together, I wanted all of Jude, and from the way she was responding, I could tell she wanted all of me too.

"I love you, Tommy Q," Jude said, as I collapsed against her. She kissed me deeply, longingly, lovingly, and I knew that there was no place I'd rather be than right here with Jude, loving her as only I could.

We lay there, still entwined, and as I regained my breath a second time, I glanced over at Jude to see if she was awake. She was, and still wanted more, so I gave it to her…good.

Our hips met repeatedly, as I lost myself in Jude's embrace. She was ready, more than ready, to meet my every thrust. The more I thrust into her, the more she made me want to make even more love to her, with her. This time, though, she was the aggressor. Every touch she gave me left me wanting more. Jude was in control as she rolled over so that she was on top, and I could only lay there helplessly as Jude moved up and down, driving me crazy with the desire for more.

"Say it," Jude smirked.

"Jude!" I cried out, as our emotions sent us over the edge.

"That's my Tommy Q," Jude murmured, as she bent down to kiss me senseless. I moaned as I tried to wrap my arms around her. Jude laughed and kissed me more passionately. Our lips touched, then remained as our kiss became even deeper. I didn't care who was in control at the moment. All I wanted was Jude, and all she wanted was me. I groaned as I lost control and snapped. I rolled over on my side, so that Jude collapsed against me, and we kissed each other until neither of us could breathe properly.

While we were still making out pretty heavily, we heard sounds coming from the next room. They sounded like us. Jude broke away, and glanced at me curiously.

"As much as I hate to end our little orgy, do you want to see who's hooking up?" Jude said.

I contemplated her question, and thought that even though I loved making love with Jude, I was dying to find out who it was. I nodded, as Jude and I started dressing, and then we walked over to the other room.

The door was locked, as was ours, so we resumed making out until we heard the door open. I turned around, since Jude was facing the door, and I was looking at the wall, and our jaws dropped as we saw who it was.

"OMG!" Jude said, as our minds finally processed what we'd just witnessed.

AN: I know, I'm evil for leaving it there. But I couldn't think of who it should be. So I need your ideas. Anyone have any suggestions as to who just hooked up?" Tell me in a review, and I'll try to use it. And I'll try and mention the name of the studio in the next chapter (or maybe the one after, depending on what I come up with). I was going to put it in this chapter, but I just didn't see where. But I'm sure you liked this chapter the way it is. Or did you? I won't know unless you review! 6 more reviews, and I'll put up the next chapter. Just not tomorrow ;o)!


	37. Chapter 37

AN: Thanks to everyone who's ever read or is reading this. And thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You all rock! Just a quick note: I think this chapter's supposed to be rated M, because…well, you'll see. But I didn't know if you all would like it or not, since none of us like the people who are involved in what happens. And if this sounds confusing, it'll all become clear really fast. So if you're underage, please don't read this. For the rest of you, here's the next chapter. As always, let me know what you think, OK? Good. I hope you like it.

Special AN's:

Rachel, I know, I'm evil. And I also don't know who it's going to be. OK, I do, and I think I know what everyone will say right after they read it.

Lizzy, I know, OK. I'm going to tell you right now. Or once I finish my special ANs.

jude-and-tommy-4eva-summer-bay, you'll find out soon enough. Just read below…

Tanya, aww, you're soooo sweet! Thank you soooo much! I had a great birthday. But it could've been better if I got Tim. Lol. Now where have I heard your suggestions before? Lol. Although the E.J./Speed thing would be kinda scary. I'd hate to see what kind of kids they'd have. Crazy, non-stop talkative rockers/fashion consultants, that's for sure.

Tommys my 21, thank you! I think I've heard that one before. I think one of them should be Darius. Or maybe not. I don't know yet.

judetomfan101, I so can't agree with you more! But I do love that accent. If only Liam weren't such an ass.

Carlz02, nah, you're much sweeter! Lol. And I'm soooo happy you love it! This chapter's going to be a little different, but the weird part's really small, so it'll be over before you know it.

Monkeyluver42, I'm dying to find out myself. But we'll find out who it is right…now.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Instant Star and the characters. But it doesn't matter anyway. Tim's mine!

_Last time…_

_While we were still making out pretty heavily, we heard sounds coming from the next room. They sounded like us. Jude broke away, and glanced at me curiously._

"_As much as I hate to end our little orgy, do you want to see who's hooking up?" Jude said._

_I contemplated her question, and thought that even though I loved making love with Jude, I was dying to find out who it was. I nodded, as Jude and I started dressing, and then we walked over to the other room._

_The door was locked, as was ours, so we resumed making out until we heard the door open. I turned around, since Jude was facing the door, and I was looking at the wall, and our jaws dropped as we saw who it was._

"_OMG!" Jude said, as our minds finally processed what we'd just witnessed._

Chapter 37: A Secret Tryst

My mind went blank, as I saw who emerged from the room.

"Darius?" I said, still struggling to picture Darius with someone. He was so, well…Darius. The only thing D loved more than himself was money, which could probably explain who he was with.

"Liam?" Jude asked, as Liam followed Darius out.

"Don't say a word," Darius hissed through his teeth. "You saw nothing, you'll do nothing." He looked menacingly at us, while Liam smirked. He knew he could get away with anything now that he was with Darius.

Jude nodded mutely, too afraid to say anything. I also nodded my head. If I said anything about this, no one would believe me.

Liam took Darius' hand, and they walked away before Jude or I could say anything.

"Wow," was all Jude could say after what had happened.

"Yeah, I sure as hell didn't see that coming," I admitted. I knew Darius and Liam were close, but not that close. I'll have to keep my gay jokes to myself now. And Kwest. He likes Sadie too much to be gay.

"Yeah, I guess I can't complain to Darius about Liam anymore," Jude was still stunned.

"You're right, even though Liam's the biggest butt," I said, as Jude burst out laughing. She took my arm, and we went back to the party.

The first person we saw was Georgia.

"Hey, G," I said, trying to look as casual as possible. "I just saw Darius. Know why he's here?"

"Yeah, he's probably trying to scope out your studio, see what he's up against," Georgia called out over the roar of the crowd.

"That figures," I said, as Jude looked worriedly at me. "He loses his top producer and artist, and a few of his best people, and he says it's nothing to worry about, that he'll still be the king of the music world, but he still worries enough to check us out. I got him right where I want him."

"Yeah, but how are we going to compete with all of the talent he's acquired?" Jude said. "We'll probably end up getting his scraps."

"Maybe we will, maybe we won't," I said mysteriously. I was planning to start off small, recruit some of the artists who didn't win the competition, but were up-and-coming in the charts. Enough to make waves and send Darius's nerves on overdrive. Then, when my artists started churning out #1 singles, I'd get more and more publicity, and more and more artists would want to join my label. Then, Darius would start losing his grip on his huge piece of the music industry, and they'd start coming to me like bees to honey.

"What do you have planned?" Jude asked, knowing I was up to something.

"Well, for starters, I was going to recruit some local talent, and see if any of them would work with SME," I said, knowing I'd get Georgia's attention.

"Just what I was thinking," Georgia said, nodding her head in approval. "And once we get E.J. on it, it'll be all over the news."

"Yeah," Jude said, smiling. "No one's better at getting attention than E.J."

"Did someone call me?" E.J. said, breezing past us and stopping. She put her arms around Jude and Georgia, looking at all of us curiously.

"Yeah, E.J., we were just talking about you. Can you spread the word that SME's going to be performing at our new studio?"

"Can I put together a wardrobe for everyone and plan a huge party within an hour?" E.J. wondered aloud. Without waiting for anyone's response, she said, "Duh. I'll have at least a hundred people here by tomorrow." She rushed off, and started networking the way she always did.

"No one outlasts E.J. when she's going, and going, and going…" Georgia quipped, using the phrase that was usually reserved for the Energizer bunny.

"You got that right," I said, running my hand through my hair.

"Or Tommy," Jude smiled coyly at me, insinuating what I thought she was.

"God, guys, is that all you can think about?" Georgia threw up her hands in mock exasperation. "We'll never be able to outdo Darius if you guys are too busy doing it 24/7."

"You're right, Georgia. We do have to catch our breaths, you know. And when we do, we'll schedule our artists around our all-out sex marathons. At least until we're up for another round." I smiled as Georgia shook her head mutely, not knowing what to do with us.

"Speaking of which," Jude said, wrapping her arm around my waist. "We never did finish what we started…"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. Care to join me, Jude?" I replied, holding my hand out for Jude to take.

"It'd be my pleasure," Jude said, her emotions displayed openly for everyone to see.

"Only half," I said, grinning.

"I'd like to challenge that statement," Jude responded.

"Oh really? We'll see who's right, won't we?" I said, as we completely ignored Georgia and left the party to finish our own.

AN: I've got a great idea for the next chapter, and then after that will be the first day of Tommy's and Jude's studio. We'll see how that goes, and if it works out for them. Until then, please review (and let me know if you like it or not).


	38. Chapter 38

AN: Thanks to everyone who's ever read or is still reading this. And thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You all rock! And I've decided to cut this short, so that I can spend more time working on a new fanfic (I think I'll call it Studio Wars, but I'll change it if I come up with a better idea, or if you guys come up with any suggestions…hint, hint!)

Special ANs:

Jess, I know. Darius and Liam? But I guess I'll do just about anything to keep you reading!

Tanya, great suggestion. I'll try and work that into this chapter.

Rachel, me too! I'm in total shock that Darius and Liam are together! That was soooo unexpected! Lol.

Ally, I know. Double EWWW on the whole Darius and Liam thing!!!! But it just keeps getting weirder (read on).

judetomfan101, I'm working on another chapter as I speak, er, write. Here you go.

Monkeyluver42, your review made me laugh. It shocked the hell out of me too!

Disclaimer: You know what I'm going to say before I say it, so I won't bother. Who doesn't love Tommy? But I'M the one who's going to marry him. Even if he's REALLY old.

Chapter 38: Things Just Keep Getting Weirder

Jude followed me back to our private room, and I had no sooner closed the door behind me when she turned and attacked me, her mouth fusing with mine.

My POV: Mmm, it just doesn't get any better than this.

I reached out and pulled her into my arms, my mouth searing hers. I groaned as my cell went off, and I unwillingly tore my mouth from hers, leaving it red and swollen from the pressure exerted on them.

"What?" I ground out, hating to be interrupted at a time like this.

"Tommy, it's Liam. I talked it over with Darius, and he agrees with me," Liam informed me. I could hear the smirk in his voice even though I couldn't see it.

"What? What are you talking about?" I said, completely puzzled now.

"Open your studio, and we'll sue you for everything you've got. For breach of contract, for daring to go up against the biggest, and might I add, best music studio that everyone in the music business wants to work for? Or don't you remember when you signed your contract with us?" Liam was triumphant now.

"You can't do that," I said weakly. My mind raced as I made a mental note to call my lawyer.

"I can, and I will. But that all depends on what you do. Your move, Tommy," Liam gloated as he hung up on me.

I flipped my cellphone shut, and threw it against the wall in frustration.

"Tommy, what is it?" Jude said, coming up and hugging me from behind. She lay her head on my shoulder.

"Liam," I said through gritted teeth.

"What's he up to?" Jude said again, clearly oblivious to his threat.

I filled Jude in on what Liam was planning to do, and managed a wan smile as she let out a string of expletives.

My POV: Damn, I shouldn't've taught Jude those. But she does use them really well. Smart, beautiful, and musically talented? Jude's got it all. There's nothing I don't love about her.

"Come on," Jude said, pulling me out the door.

"Where're we going?" I asked.

"Georgia's room," Jude said, leading me down the hallway.

We walked over to Georgia's room, and knocked. No answer.

"Georgia, it's us," I called out, even though she had a peephole. We all did.

Still nothing.

"Let's try E.J.'s," I offered. Jude took my hand, and we went next door.

"E.J, you there?" Jude called out. I knocked again, and muffled sounds could be heard coming from her room.

"Should we go in?" I said, wanting to give E.J. her privacy if she was in. Too many times I interrupted her, only to get my head bitten off.

Jude nodded, and turned the knob. To our surprise, it was open.

"E.J.?" Jude called out again. We walked inside, where her living room and kitchen were. No sign of E.J.

"Let's try her bedroom," Jude suggested. I nodded, and smiled when I heard a sound coming from her bedroom.

"Sounds like E.J.'s getting it on," Jude said, also smiling. I followed her into E.J.'s bedroom, which was also open, and froze in my tracks.

"OMG!" Jude whispered to me, her eyes big.

My POV: Two shocks in one night? Things just keep getting weirder and weirder.

There before us were E.J. and Speed, completely naked, all tangled up in E.J.'s bed. Speed was on top, kissing E.J. like his life depended on it. And E.J. wasn't fighting him off. She looked like she enjoyed it, with the occasional moaning and pulling Speed closer to her.

"E.J.!" I said, just as Jude said, "Speed?"

The couple froze, then separated.

"H-Hi, Jude, Tommy," Speed said, turning over and covering himself with some of E.J.'s sheets. He gave off a response that was the complete opposite of E.J.'s.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" E.J. snapped, more upset with us for barging in on her than she was at getting caught having sex with Speed.

"I'd like to ask Speed the same question," I said, completely amused. Jude whacked me in the stomach, and my smile faded as quickly as it came.

"Ever hear of knocking?" E.J. blurted out, still annoyed with us.

"Maybe you would've heard us if you two hadn't been banging each other so hard," I responded.

"Don't start with me," E.J. shot back. "This is my room, and since I'm not on the clock, I can do whatever I want."

"YEAH!" Speed agreed.

"Oh, I see," I said, playing along. "And this is MY studio, which I invited you to stay at, so let's see, that means we can go wherever we want, whenever we want, no matter who's screwing who on their off time." I leaned back, obviously pleased with myself.

But Jude looked apologetically at E.J. and Speed, knowing when to leave them alone.

"Tommy, um, can I talk to you? In private?" Jude tugged on my sleeve. I stood firm, not budging an inch.

"Your boxers are showing," Jude hissed at me. I looked down, and she was right.

"Uh, E.J.? Speed? Excuse us," I said, running out of there as fast as I could, Jude right at my heels.

We ran back into our room, and I hoped no one saw me. Or worse yet, got a picture of it.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I demanded to know.

Jude shrugged her shoulders. "You never asked."

"You're so gonna pay for that," I promised her.

Jude looked at me. "Is that so? Make me," she challenged. She let out a shriek as I grabbed her, picked her up, and dropped her on our bed. She squealed as I fell on her, and I did exactly as I'd planned all along.

AN: That's the end! Let me know what you think, OK? I'm gonna have the sequel to this up in a little while. Be sure to check it out, OK? It's called Studio Wars. I might delay it a bit to write a few chapters at a time (I haven't decided yet).


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